CONTROL OF DISEASE Flashcards
What is immune memory?
The basis of vaccination. Coming across an antigen for the first time, the response will be slow but if you come across it again, the immune system remembers it and can produce antibodies faster this time. A vaccination mimics the natural infection, so the immune system is ‘prepared’ for subsequent exposure.
What is herd immunity?
A form of immunity that occurs when the vaccination of a significant portion of a population (or herd) provides a measure of protection for individuals who have not developed immunity.
What are the different types of vaccination?
Killed/inactivated – kills the organism responsible for disease. If the organism is killed it might not react with the immune system correctly, so it cannot form ‘immune memory’
Attenuated/live – modify/weaken the virus so is no longer pathogenic but still stimulates immune response so immune memory is formed
Toxoids – attenuated form of toxin is made
Polysaccharide conjugates – polysaccharide that encodes for the disease is added to a protein so is seen by the immune system.
DNA
Vectors
