Vaccination Flashcards
What is passive immunity?
Transfer of active antibodies
humeral immunity
Does passive immunity give slow or fast protection?
Fast
How can antibodies be transferred in passive immunity?
Through placenta to foetus
Through colostrum
Artificially via oral medication or IV/IM
Vaccinations can involve artificial passive immunity. Where are the antibodies derived from?
Donor animals
Have high titres of a specific antibody
What are the limitations of giving artificial passive immunity in vaccinations?
Only relevant to disease that require humoral response for protection
Risk of hypersensitivity to IgG injections
What cells do cytotoxic T lymphocytes kill?
Virus infected cells
Cancer cells
Cells containing intracellular bacteria
What is active immunisation?
Immunisation with microbial products to induce long-term immunity and memory
Why are subcutaneous vaccines so useful?
Skin has Langerhans cells - monocyte derived epidermal cells
Langerhans are precursors of dendritic cells - capture and process antigens in skin
Travel in lymph nodes and effectively stimulate T cells
What is the main function of dendritic cells? (Part of immunity, not the same as dendrites!)
Process antigen material and present it on the surface to T-cells
Active immunisation can be systemic or mucosal (local). How may vaccines for mucosal/local infections be given?
Intranasally e.g. Bordatella bronchiseptica for kennel cough
Orally
Vaccines may contain adjuvants. What are these? Are they specific or non-specific?
Enhancers of immune response to non-living vaccines
Non-specific
How do adjuvants work to enhance immune response? (adjuvants in non-living vaccines only)
Slow release of vaccine antigens to enhance recognition and response
Give an example of an adjuvant used in vaccines
Magnesium salts
Aluminium salts
What are the differences between living and inactivated viruses in terms of adjuvants and cost?
Living - don’t need adjuvants, cheap
Inactivated - need adjuvants, more expensive
What type of vaccine (living or inactivated) is more likely to contain contaminating organisms?
Living vaccine - also more likely to cause disease through residual virulence