Final > Disease Control: Vaccines Flashcards

1
Q

What is meant by the term “variolation”?

A

Inoculation of smallpox into the skin.

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2
Q

Who coined the term “vaccination”? Why?

A

Pasteur. Because cowpox was being used against smallpox and vacca = cow (latin?).

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3
Q

What is the definition of a vaccine?

A

A suspension of organisms or fractions of organisms that induce immunity.

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4
Q

What occurs physiologically in response to a vaccine being administered?

A

A primary immune response which leads to the formation of antibodies and memory cells (IgM and IgG).

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5
Q

If a person is vaccinated, what occurs upon exposure to the real disease?

A

A rapid, intense secondary immune response (mainly igG) which shuts that shit right down.

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6
Q

What is herd immunity?

A

A prevention strategy in which a certain level of vaccination is enough to provide protection for the whole population.

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7
Q

What are the 3 main characteristics of a live attenuated vaccine?

A
  1. Weakened pathogen
  2. Mimics an actual infection
  3. Lifelong cellular/humoral immunity
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8
Q

What are the 3 main characteristics of an inactivated killed vaccine?

A
  1. Safer than live vaccines
  2. Requires booster doses
  3. Mostly humoral immunity
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9
Q

What differentiates humoral immunity from cellular immunity?

A

Humoral: T cells produce antibodies
Cellular: T cells induce host cell apoptosis

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10
Q

What is a subunit vaccine?

A

One which uses antigenic fragments to stimulate an immune response.

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11
Q

What are the 3 types of subunit vaccine?

A
  1. Recombinant vaccines
  2. Virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines
  3. Toxoids
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12
Q

What is a recombinant vaccine?

A

A subunit vaccine produced by genetic modification.

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13
Q

What is a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine?

A

A subunit vaccine which contains a particle that resembles an intact virus but contains no viral genetic material.

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14
Q

What is a toxoid?

A

A subunit vaccine that contains an inactivated toxin.

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15
Q

What is an antitoxin?

A

A type of toxoid (a subset of subunit vaccines) which contains antibodies against a toxin and can confer short-term inmmunity.

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16
Q

What is a conjugated vaccine?

A

Combines a weak antigen with a strong antigen as a carrier for when you want to elicit a strong response to a weak antigen.

17
Q

When would it be beneficial to use a conjugated vaccine?

A

When the subject’s immune system normally responds poorly to the weak antigen in the vaccine.

18
Q

What is a nucleic acid (DNA) vaccine?

A

Naked DNA which is injected into the subject and produces the protein antigen encoded on the DNA.

19
Q

What is an adjuvant in terms of vaccines? What is the only approved one in the US?

A

A chemical additive added to a vaccine to improve effectiveness. Only Alum is approved for use.

20
Q

In Canada, is vaccination under provincial or federal jurisdiction?

A

Provincial, just like everything else healthcare-related.

21
Q

Do all provinces mandate the same vaccines on the same schedule?

A

Of course not. Get the provinces to agree on something? Outrageous.

22
Q

What are some components of the Infanrix Hexavalent (DTap, IPV, Hib) vaccine?

A
  • Diptheria toxoid
  • Tetanus toxoid
  • Pertussis toxin (detoxified)
  • Hep B antigen
  • Inactivated poliovirus (types 1, 2, and 3)
  • Polysaccharide Hib
  • Lactose
  • NaCl
  • AlPO₄ aluminum adjuvant
23
Q

Compared with other medicines, what reduces the inclination for drug companies to produce new vaccines?

A

They are less profitable than other medicines. There’s way less value in something they can only sell once I guess…

24
Q

What are some ways in which the development of new vaccines might change in the future?

A
  • Develop without using animals
  • Use plants as a source
  • More oral vaccines
  • Vaccines for chronic diseases
25
Q

What is meant by “reverse vaccinology”?

A

Developing cellular immunity via bioinformatics by screening the genome of an organism for genes that produce proteins which would be good vaccine targets.

26
Q

What are some inherent biological challenges to vaccine development?

A
  • Viruses/bacteria evolve at varying rates

- Rapid evolution of new serovars and serotypes present a “moving target” for vaccine developers (ex: influenza virus).

27
Q

What is a Nanopatch in terms of vaccination technologies? Why might it be advantageous?

A

A patch applied to the skin which delivers a dry formulation of the vaccine. Requires no refrigeration and doesn’t scare people the way needles do.

28
Q

Why is a multiple-combination vaccine advantageous?

A

So that people only have to get pricked once (or twice…) and not a ton of times.

29
Q

Can vaccines cause disease?

A

On rare occasions if improperly prepared. But there is no proof to suggest vaccines being linked to other neurological disorders.