Vaccine Flashcards
What is the difference between active and passive immunotherapy?
Active immunotherapy involves stimulating the body’s own immune response, while passive immunotherapy involves introducing antibodies from an outside source.
What is the purpose of antiserum?
Antiserum provides immediate protection against a recent infection or ongoing disease.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of antiserum compared to vaccines?
Advantages: Provides immediate protection. Disadvantages: Short-lived protection, risk of allergic reactions, does not result in memory B cell production.
What is the difference between herd immunity and contact immunity?
Herd immunity is the protection of a population due to a high proportion of individuals being resistant to a pathogen, while contact immunity is when vaccinated individuals can infect those around them, providing immunity beyond the individual who received the vaccine.
How is contact immunity achieved?
Contact immunity is achieved through the use of attenuated (modified live) vaccines.
Fill in the blank: Inactivated vaccines often require _________ to achieve full immunity.
High doses or multiple doses (boosters)
Name two types of Inactivated (killed) Vaccines.
Subunit vaccines and Whole agent vaccines
What are adjuvants?
Chemicals added to vaccines to increase effective antigenicity and stimulate immune cell receptors and their actions.
Give an example of a toxoid vaccine.
Tetanus and diphtheria
What is a combination vaccine? Give an example.
Simultaneous administration of antigens from several pathogens. Example: MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella)
What is an advantage of nucleic acid-based vaccines?
They do not contain a whole virus and generally do not contain many other components such as adjuvants.
How do mRNA vaccines work?
The mRNA is delivered into the cytoplasm, used to make a protein antigen, and stimulates an adaptive immune response.
What is herd immunity?
Protection provided to all individuals in a population when a large proportion (~75%) are resistant to a pathogen.
What are some problems associated with immunization?
Mild toxicity, risk of anaphylactic shock, residual virulence from attenuated viruses.
What is attenuation?
The process of reducing virulence in pathogens to create modified live vaccines.
Why are virulent microbes not used in vaccines?
Because they cause disease.
What are some drawbacks to attenuated vaccines?
Can result in mild infections, may retain enough residual virulence, and can occasionally revert to a virulent form.
What is serum sickness?
An allergic reaction to animal antigens found in antisera.
What is an antitoxin?
Antibodies directed against toxins.
Give an example of a disease where passive immunotherapy can be used.
Hepatitis A and B, measles, rabies, Ebola, chicken pox and shingles
What is the main characteristic of attenuated vaccines?
Use pathogens with reduced virulence.
How are viruses attenuated?
They are raised for numerous generations in cells that are not optimal for replication of that virus.
What is a disadvantage of toxoid vaccines?
Require multiple doses because toxoids possess few antigenic determinants.
What is the purpose of the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System?
To monitor vaccine safety.
What is the difference between a subunit and a whole agent vaccine?
Subunit vaccines use antigenic fragments of microbes, while whole agent vaccines use inactivated but whole microbes.
What is contact immunity?
When vaccinated individuals can infect those around them.
Why is it important for patients to follow the recommended immunization schedule?
Because it protects the individual and the population.
