Vaccination Flashcards
Which 2 ways can pathogens cause disease in the body?
-Damage of cells tissues
-Production of toxins
What does a vaccination contain?
Antigen or dead weakened form of pathogen which stimulates production of antibodies.
What is the process of vaccination?
-Vaccine is injected
-Memory cells are produced
-On reinfection, cells recognise pathogens
-Rapidly produce antibodies
-Antibodies destroy pathogens
-Herd immunity occurs
What is Herd Immunity?
Where unvaccinated people are protected because the occurrence of the disease is reduced by the number of people vaccinated.
What happens when no one is immunised?
Contagious disease spreads through population
What happens when some of the population is immunised?
Contagious disease spreads through some of the population
What happens when most of the population is immunised?
Spread of contagious disease is contained.
What is Agentic Variability?
-The antigens of some pathogens are constantly changing.
-Each antigen causes its own immune response
Who is likely to be offered the flu jab every year?
High risk individuals
Who are high risk individuals?
-65 or older
-pregnant women
-babies
-children and adults with weakened immune system
-people with chronic disease
-health workers
-people who work with animals
Although vaccination costs a lot, why is it worthwhile?
-direct effects on health
-reduces number of deaths
-reduces days lost at work (economy)
-costs more to treat ill person than to vaccinate
What should be considered when making a vaccine?
-age
-sex
-ethnicity
-all health/ not on other medication
-not previously vaccinated/ infected
What is HPV?
Human Papilloma virus which can lead to cervical cancer
Why is the HPV vaccine given to year 8 girls?
AS virus is sexually transmitted and girls are not usually sexually active at this age.
What is a Vaccine?
Introduces a weakened or dead form of pathogen or a piece of the pathogen to a person in order to trigger the production of antibodies.
What is an Immunisation?
Specific Ability to the body to recognise and respond to a particular pathogen and prevent it causing life-threatening harm.
What is an Epidemic?
When a communicable disease spreads at an local/ national level.
What is a Pandemic?
When a communicable disease spreads at an international level.
What does the MMR vaccine contain?
A small amount of weakened measles, mumps and rubella viruses.
When is the MMR Vaccine Administered?
Children need 2 doses
-1st Birthday
-3 years and 4 months
What does the Meningitis C vaccine prevent?
Haemophilus influenza type b and the meningitis caused by a group C bacteria.
When it the Meningitis C vaccine given?
Babies at 1years old after given 3 does of 6 in 1 vaccine
What did Lister do?
Development of antiseptics
What did Fleming do?
Discovery of Penicillin
What did Pasteur do?
Germ theory of disease
What do antiseptic do?
Kill microorganisms outside the body
What do Antibiotics do?
Destroy bacteria inside the body
How do antibiotics work?
By the bacteria ingesting them and then damaging the cell structure-usually cell wall or protein.
Why don’t antibiotics work on viruses?
Don’t have a structure to damage so doesn’t work
What is Antibiotic Resistance caused by?
-overuse of antibiotics
-not finishing course of antibiotics
-taking antibiotics when you don’t need them
How does antibiotic resistance develop?
1)Mutation occurs in some bacteria giving them resistance to antibiotic
2)Bacteria that are not resistant die
3)Bacteria with resistance survive
4)Surviving bacteria reproduce passing the resistance gene on
5)Eventually whole population become resistant
What are the problems with antibiotic resistance?
-very hard to treat
-hard to find new antibiotics and treatments
How can antibiotic resistance be prevented?
-prescribed when necessary and complete the course
-good hygiene e.g. handwashing
What do these do?
Help reduce chances of bacteria becoming resistant.
What are 2 antibiotic case studies of both which are resistant bacteria?
-MRSA
-C. diff
Explain MRSA.
-Usually colonise skin and mucus membranes without causing any problems
-causes a problem when there is an opportunity to enter body (cuts, procedures)
-People with supressed immune systems and particularly susceptible.
Explain C. diff
-Present in gut but kept in check by other bacteria.
-If patient is on antibiotics then the other bacteria may die and C. diff may thrive and release toxins which causes symptoms (diarrhoea and fever)
