Which type of vaccine involves stimulation of B cells without the assistance of T helper cells?

The type of vaccine that stimulates B cells without the assistance of T helper cells is the pure polysaccharide vaccine. This type of vaccine works by directly activating B cells through the polysaccharide components present on the surface of encapsulated bacteria. When B cells recognize these polysaccharides, they can initiate an immune response resulting in the production of antibodies.

This mechanism occurs because pure polysaccharide vaccines have a structure that is effectively recognized by B cell receptors. They are T-cell independent antigens, meaning they do not require T helper cell activation to promote B cell response, which distinguishes them from other types of vaccines that depend on T helper cells for their efficacy.

Other vaccine types, such as live attenuated, conjugated, and recombinant vaccines, typically do involve the participation of T helper cells in their immune response pathways, which is why they do not fit the criteria presented in the question. Live attenuated vaccines usually provoke a robust immune response involving both B cells and T cells. Conjugated vaccines link polysaccharides to proteins, effectively converting the T-cell independent response into a T-cell dependent one, enhancing the immune response. Recombinant vaccines often use T helper cells to generate a vaccine response as well. Thus, the distinct nature of pure polys