Principles of Immunisation Flashcards
What can adaptive immunity be referred to as
Acquired immunity
What are the advantages of passive immunity
Provides immediate protection
Acts as a quick fix
What are the disadvantages of passive immunity
No immunological memory
May cause serum sickness
Graft (cell graft) vs host disease
What is serum sickness
The incoming antibody is recognised as a foreign antigen by the recipient and results in anaphylaxis
What is graft vs host disease
The incoming immune cells reject the recipient
Describe the process of passive immunity
Serum (antbodies) from immune individual administered to uninfected individual
infection challenged by serum admiistered
Does passive immunity provide specificity
Yes
Describe the process of active immunity
Exposure to microbial antigen through a vaccine or infection
Infection challenged over days or weeks
What does active immunity provide
Specificity
Immunological memory
What is an example of natural passive immunity
Maternal immunoglobulins transferred to the foetus or neonate naturally using a specialised mechanism involving neonatal Fc receptors
What is an example of artificial passive immunity
The passive infusion of antibodies specific for the toxin (e.g. snake/spider bites or scorpion/fish stings)
Post-exposure prophylaxis
How does natural active immunity occur
Through exposure or infection
How does artificial active immunity occur
Through vaccination
Define vaccination
Administration of antigenic material (vaccine) to stimulate an individual’s immune system to develop adaptive immunity to a pathogen
What are common diseases vaccinated against
Measles
Mumps
Rubella
What can measles result in
Rash
What can mumps lead to
Meningitis
Name the types of active immunisation vaccines available
Killed (inactivated) whole organism
Live attenuated whole organism
Subunit (purified antigen) vaccine
Toxoid (modified inactivated toxin)