Immunisation Flashcards
How can vaccination immunity be developed?
By vaccination using antigens from infectious pathogens, so creating memory cells
what can antigens used in vaccines be?
Inactivated pathogen toxins, dead pathogens, parts of pathogens and weakened pathogens
What are antigen usually mixed with?
Adjuvant when producing the vaccine
When does Herd immunity occur?
When a large percentage of a population is immunised.
Why is establishing herd immunity important?
Reducing the spread diseases
Why are non immune individuals protected?
There is a lower probability they will come into contact with infected individuals
What does the herd immunity threshold depend on?
The type of disease, the effectiveness of the vaccine and the density of the population
What are mass vaccination designed for?
To establish herd immunity to a disease
When can difficulties arise with mass vaccination programmes?
When widespread vaccination is not possible due to poverty in the developing world, or when vaccines are rejected by a percentage of the population in the developed world
What is antigenic variation ?
when some pathogens can change their antigens
What can antigenic variation lead to?
Memory cells are not effective against them. Role and impact of antigenic variation in influenza
