Immunisation

Question 1

what is the point of immunisation?

Answer 1

control communicable disease

1) prevent onset of disease
2) interrupt transmission
3) Alter course to limit consequences

Question 2

how do vaccines work?

Answer 2

teach the immune system to recognise bacteria and viruses. primed and ready.

Question 3

what are antigens?

Answer 3

parts of bacteria that are recognisable by immune system

proteins or polysaccharides

Question 4

what are antibodies?

Answer 4

proteins that bind to antigens
very specific to antigens
when the complex is formed, it alerts other immune cells.

Question 5

how and where are antibodies produced?

Answer 5

b cells - humoral immune system (mature in the bone marrow, triggered to produce antibody when encounter foreign antigen)
t cells - cell-mediated immune system (mature in thymus, CD4+, CD8+, orchestrate response of immune system by binding to other cells and sending out signals)

Question 6

what is passive immunity?

Answer 6

transfer of pre-formed antibodies

Question 7

how does passive immunity occur?

Answer 7

mother to baby (placenta for up to 1 year)

person to person/animal (blood donors)

Question 8

name two examples of antibodies that pass by passive immunity?

Answer 8

human immunoglobulin (HepB, rabies, varicella zoster)
anti-toxin (diphtheria, botulinum)

Question 9

what are some advantages or disadvantages of passive immunity?

Answer 9

advantages
- rapid, post-exposure, outbreak control, used if contra-indication to active vaccination
disadvantages
- short-term protection and window, blood derived, hypersensitivity reaction, expensive

Question 10

chart the immunity mechanisms

Answer 10

immunity - passive – artificial human IgG
I I
I natural transplacental transfer
I
active – artificial immunisation
I
natural infection

Question 11

what are the mechanism of vaccine

Answer 11

induce cell-mediated immunity responses and serum antibodies
different vaccines induce different speed and sustainability of response

Question 12

what types of vaccines are there?

Answer 12

live and inactivated

Question 13

how does a live vaccine work

Answer 13

an attenuated organism, replicates in the host

Question 14

how does an inactivated vaccine work

Answer 14

suspension of killed organisms
subunit vaccines
conjugate vaccines

Question 15

what type of contraindications are there to vaccines

Answer 15

Confirmed anaphylaxis reaction to vaccine component.
Live vaccines: immunosuppression or pregnancy
Egg allergy
Severe latex allergy
Acute or evolving illness.

Question 16

what term implies population protection

Answer 16

herd immunity

Question 17

what is the single largest co-ordinated public health programme?

Answer 17

Scottish immunisation programme

protects against 15 different diseases. expanding~1million doses annually.

Question 18

how are children protected?

Answer 18

routine vaccination schedule that should be followed closely as the science is age-related on risk of disease and level of protection.

Question 19

what is diphtheria and what organism is responsible?

Answer 19

URTI characterised by sore throat, low grade fever. white adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx and/or nasal cavity 
Corynebacterium diphtheriae (aerobic gram-positive bacterium. 

(white throat)

Question 20

what is meningococcal disease?

Answer 20

invasive infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis. (meningitis, septicaemia or both). can cause lasting neuro damage to 10-15%
spread person to person droplets. incubation 3-5 days (<5yrs & 15-24yrs)

Question 21

when was the men c conjugate vaccine introduced and why?

Answer 21

1999

throughout the 1990’s the age range of those affected was getting older and there was evidence of clustering