: Why do we need booster shots, for some viruses but not the others? When being vaccinated we are given viruses that have been killed or made 'not working' in some other way. Then we get B and T cells that can 'kill' it. For

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Why do we need booster shots, for some viruses but not the others?
When being vaccinated we are given viruses that have been killed or made 'not working' in some other way. Then we get B and T cells that can 'kill' it.

For example, for polio, memory B and T cells produced in response to the vaccine persist only six months, while tetanus disease requires a booster dose every 10 years, and chickenpox last a lifetime.

So I am assuming the B and T memory cells are being lost for polio faster than for tetanus. I am also assuming that the memory cell losing rate is related to the nature of the virus.

What makes some viruses being 'easily forgotten' and others to be 'remembered' for a lifetime?

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