What is the difference between vaccines and antivirals?
Vaccines prepare the body to fight against certain diseases, in case it comes into contact with them in the future. Antiviral drugs tend to be used in people who have already been exposed to a virus or are already known to be infected with a virus. Different antiviral drugs work in different ways, but generally they stop the virus from making new viruses and from spreading from cell to cell in the body. Vaccines can be given long before exposure to an infectious agent and give people long-lasting protection against that agent. Antivirals are only effective if given within a specific time before or after exposure to the virus and only give protection while they are being used.
