Most venoms are proteins or other large molecules. Antivenom is prepared by injecting small amounts of the venom into an animal, and when the animal’s immune system produces antibodies that target the venom, we extract them and refine them. So antivenom is just antibodies that target venom.
Can we create a vaccine that makes antivenom antibodies inside a person’s body, and have their immune system retain memory of the venom? It could be done by microdosing venom, or with compounds that are similar to the venom, but less harmful.
Edit for clarity: Microdosing is not my main point. I’m talking about whether antivenom can operate like a vaccine.
Current route of antivenom: Venom is injected into another animal in small, controlled amounts -> Animal’s immune system produces antibodies -> Antibodies are extracted and refined -> Antibodies are used as treatment for a person who was envenomated
Hypothetical vaccine route of antivenom: Compound similar to venom is injected into people like a vaccine -> Person’s immune system produces antibodies that target this compound, and will also target venom -> Person retains lasting immunity against venom, similar to immunity against diseases
One thing I don’t see in other comments: if you’re vaccinated, the immune response will be still slow.
Immunity typically means a “memory trace” of a past immune response in form of a low number of cells that conserve the specific combinations of genetic material to produce an effective antibody. While persons with immunity may have detectable circulating antibody levels, those levels may be too low for an effective response. First, those memory cells need to divide and recruit more immune cells. That’s typically fast enough for fending off a new infection, because the infectious agent also works on the time scale of biological replication or reproduction.
As venoms can kill cells relatively fast, the ramping up of a response from immunity can be too slow, compared to the administration of a big dose of antibodies that can rapidly neutralize the toxin.