Attenuated/weakened viruses still infect cells and go through normal protein-making machinery. Inactivated viruses and subunit/recombinant vaccines, however, ju

Attenuated/weakened viruses still infect cells and go through normal protein-making machinery. Inactivated viruses and subunit/recombinant vaccines, however, just directly expose our immune system to the antigen(s) of the pathogen. mRNA/viral vector/attenuated all involve some degree of "code execution."