(PM3A) Vaccines Flashcards
What immune response does a vaccine activate?
Pathogen specific, adaptive immune response
What immune response do recombinant cytokines stimulate?
Activation of inflammation
What immune response do synthetic innate stimulatory drugs stimulate?
Activation of inflammation
What is activation of the immune system to generate a memory response to a known pathogen called?
Vaccination
What effect do immune stimulators have?
Deliberately trigger inflammatory response
What factors, including vaccination, decreased childhood mortality since the early 20th century?
(1) Vaccination
(2) Improved nutrition
(3) Improved sanitation
(4) Antibiotics
What is currently the most problematic issue with vaccines?
Public attitudes
How do vaccines protect against a known pathogen?
(1) A specific T or B cell (lymphocyte) recognises pathogenic peptide or antigen
(2) Lymphocyte clonal expansion
(3) Millions of T and B cells (lymphocytes) and antibodies that recognise pathogen microbes
How are dendritic cells activated?
Innate signalling
Which immune cells reside in the lymph nodes?
(1) B cells
(2) T cells
(3) Dendritic cells
What is a live oral vaccine? How is it incorporated into the blood?
Vaccine administered orally
Taken up by immune cells within intestine
What are vaccines made from?
- Antigens
- Immune stimulatory element
- Preservatives/ stabilisers
What are the major types of vaccine? Give an example for each.
(1) Live attenuated - e.g. polio/ BCG
(2) Inactivated - e.g. influenza
(3) Subunit + adjuvant - e.g. Hep B
Define adjuvant.
A pharmacological/ immunological agent which boosts the immune response of a vaccine
What is BCG?
Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine is a vaccine primarily used against tuberculosis
What is the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine?
BCG
Primarily used against tuberculosis
What major type(s) of vaccine is commonly given in injected vaccines?
(1) Inactivated
(2) Split
What major type(s) of vaccines is commonly given in nasal vaccines?
Live attenuated
What is the main purpose of vaccination strategy?
Herd immunity
Who are the priority targets for general vaccinations?
(1) Children
(2) Elderly
(3) At risk patients
What are the most common adverse effects from vaccination?
(1) Transient mild fever
(2) Pain at injection site
Define transient mild fever.
Intermittent fever
Type of fever - interval where temperature is elevated for several hours followed by an interval when temperature drops back to normal
How are the most common adverse effects of vaccination managed?
(1) Paracetamol/ analgesia
(2) REASSURANCE
What type of microbes do vaccines contain?
Non-pathogenic microbes
Define pathogen.
Disease causing microbe
What are important annual vaccinations that protect against emerging infections?
Biannual influenza vaccines
What is an immune stimulator?
An external source which stimulates the immune system
e.g. vaccines
What are 2 types of immune stimulator?
(1) Antigen specific - vaccines
(2) General
When does the potential therapeutic benefit of general immune stimulatory drugs outweigh the risk?
- Chronic infections
- Cancer
What is/ are the types(s) of general immune stimulatory drugs? Give example(s).
(1) Synthetic microbial component - e.g. imiquimod
(2) Recombinant cytokine - e.g. recombinant interferon
What are interferons?
Family of potent pro-inflammatory cytokines
Give an example of a type of cytokine.
Interferon
What are recombinant cytokines (e.g. interferon) used to treat?
Chronic Hepatitis virus infections
What are synthetic microbial components (e.g. imiquimod) used to treat?
Genital warts
In Aldara cream
What is Aldara?
Branded imiquimod (general immune stimulant)
What are the primary therapies against infectious disease?
(1) Vaccines
(2) Antibiotics - bacteria
How is influenza administered in a vaccine?
TYPE OF VACCINE
Killed/ inactivated
How is polio administered in a vaccine?
TYPE OF VACCINE
Attenuated
When is imiquimod cream used?
Treatment of genital warts
What formulation is imiquimod?
Cream
When is interferon therapy used?
Treatment of chronic Hepatitis infection
What is interferon therapy?
Injection of recombinant interferon (type of cytokine)
Stimulates an inflammatory (immune) response
What is cold chain storage?
A temperature-controlled supply chain
What is a peptide antigen?
Broken up protein fragments from the surface of a microbe
What do MHC molecules do?
Present peptide antigens to T lymphocytes
What is an antigen receptor?
Unique receptoron on T cells
Recognises ONE specific peptide bound to a MHC
What is a polypeptide?
A protein
What are some of the potential effects of therapeutic proteins (polypeptides) when bound to an antigen target?
- Block (inhibit)
- Bind
- Activate
- Kill
What are examples of live attenuated vaccines?
- Polio
- BCG (for TB)
- Influenza (more recently)
What are examples of killed (inactivated) vaccines?
- Influenza
- Oral cholera
What are examples of subunit vaccines?
- Hepatitis B
- Tetanus toxin
- Typhoid fever
What type of vaccine is used for influenza?
Usually killed (inactivated)
Can be live attenuated - more recent change
What is an example of an adjuvant?
Alum
Aluminium salts
What is alum?
Aluminium salts
An adjuvant
What is an example of a stabiliser, in a vaccine?
Polysorbates
What are polysorbates?
Type of stabiliser used in vaccines
What is an example of a preservative, in a vaccine?
- Thimerosal (containing mercury)
- Formaldehyde
Which vaccine preservative contains mercury?
Thimerosal
What is thimerosal commonly used for?
A vaccine preservative (containing mercury)
What is formaldehyde commonly used for?
A vaccine preservative
What are the general components of a vaccine?
(1) Antigen
(2) Adjuvant
(3) Stabiliser
(4) Preservative
What are the general types of antigen used in a vaccine?
(1) Whole organism - entire microbe
(2) Protein/ polysaccharide - from microbe
What is the purpose of putting a specific antigen in a vaccine?
Generates immune response
Protects from future infection
What is the purpose of putting an adjuvant in a vaccine?
Promotes an immune response
Triggers inflammation
What is the purpose of putting a stabiliser in a vaccine?
Prevents chemical/ physical degradation of antigen
VITAL for complex antigens
What is the purpose of putting a preservative in a vaccine?
Prevents microbial growth
What does formaldehyde do to a microbe (antigen component) of a vaccine?
Kills vaccine microbe
Only used for killed/ inactivated vaccines for this reason
When is formaldehyde used as a preservative for vaccines? Why?
ONLY in inactivated/ killed vaccines
Formaldehyde kills the microbe
How are vaccines currently delivered?
(1) IM injection
(2) Oral
- inc. nasal, e.g. live attenuated influenza
What are the experimental vaccine delivery methods?
ø Needle-free injections
ø Micro-needle patches
ø Oral
How many doses of vaccine are commonly needed?
≥2 vaccine doses
Describe interactions between concurrent vaccination.
Minimal interactions
Define multivalent.
(of an antigen or antibody)
Having several sites at which attachment to an antibody or antigen can occur
What is a multivalent vaccine?
A multivalent or polyvalent vaccine is designed to immunise against two or more strains of the same microorganism, or against two or more microbes
What would be the purpose of a micro-needle patch vaccine?
- Avoid dermis penetration - painless
- Simple administration
What MOLECULAR components, other than polypeptides, are in vaccines?
- POLYPEPTIDES
- Lipids
- Nucleic acids
What is one of the most significant contributors to cost in vaccination programs?
Cold chain storage
When is cold chain storage primarily used?
For storage of vaccines and other biologics/ biomacromolecules
