Which vaccine is a toxoid vaccine?

A toxoid vaccine is created using inactivated toxic compounds that cause a disease rather than the pathogen itself. These are effective in prompting an immune response without causing the disease. The diphtheria vaccine is a prime example of a toxoid vaccine, as it is made from the inactivated toxin produced by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. This vaccine stimulates the immune system to develop antibodies against the toxin, which helps prevent the effects of diphtheria when a person is exposed to the actual bacteria.

By contrast, the polio vaccine consists of inactivated or weakened forms of the poliovirus, the hepatitis B vaccine is made from a part of the hepatitis B virus, and the varicella vaccine uses a live attenuated form of the varicella-zoster virus to provide immunity against chickenpox. All of these vaccines work through different mechanisms that do not involve using inactivated toxins, making the diphtheria vaccine the singular choice that qualifies as a toxoid vaccine.