Immunity Flashcards
What is a vaccination?
The administration of antigenic material to stimulate an individuals immune system to develop adaptive immunity to a pathogen
Describe active immunity
Infection or exposure to pathogen/immunisation and vaccine
Describe passive immunity
Organism receives antibodies from another organism with active immunity
No memory B cells present, no rapid production of specific antibodies
Temporary (up to a few months)
Protection from first infection is immediate
What are the 3 types of conventional vaccines?
Killed whole organisms
Attenuated whole organisms
Subunit vaccines
Describe killed whole organism vaccines
Target organism is killed
Booster shots are likely required
Viruses must be heat killed
Describe attenuated whole organisms
An avirulent strain of target organism is isolated
Can reverse back into virulent form and hence not given to immunocompromised or at risk
Needed to be refrigerated
What are the 2 types of subunit vaccines?
Recombinant vaccines
Toxoid (modified toxin)
Describe recombinant vaccines
Very safe
Easy to standardise
Not very immunogenic without an effective adjuvant
What are the contraindications of vaccination?
Temporary
-Febrile immunity
Pregnancy->no live attenuated vaccine
Permanent
-Allergy
immunocompromised
What is the aim of herd immunity
To produce individuals who cannot receive the vaccine
