Pasteurization is a widely used method to inactivate or attenuate pathogens, especially in the production of certain vaccines. It involves controlled heating that kills pathogenic microorganisms while preserving the efficacy of the vaccine. This process ensures that the pathogens cannot cause disease while retaining their immunogenic properties needed to stimulate an immune response.
Other methods like filtration and lyophilization have their roles in vaccine production, but they are not primarily used for inactivating pathogens. Polymerization is a chemical process unrelated to vaccine attenuation.