What substance is used to boost the effectiveness of vaccines?

The substance that is used to boost the effectiveness of vaccines is the adjuvant. Adjuvants are formulated to enhance the body’s immune response to the antigens present in the vaccine. They do this by prolonging the presence of the antigen in the body, improving its presentation to immune cells, and triggering a stronger immune response. This can lead to better protection against the disease the vaccine is targeting.

In contrast, while antigens are the components of the vaccine that induce an immune response, they do not enhance the response on their own; rather, they are the target that the immune system acts upon. Immunoglobulins are antibodies produced by the immune system to bind and neutralize pathogens, playing a role after vaccination rather than enhancing the vaccination itself. Vaccine vectors are vehicles used to deliver the antigen into the body, particularly in genetic vaccines, but they do not serve the specific function of boosting immune responses like adjuvants do.