Vaccine design

Question 1

6 types of vaccine

Answer 1

killed or inactive pathogen

live attenuated vaccine (modified pathogen)

purified component vaccine

modified component vaccine

viral vectored vaccines

mRNA vaccines

Question 2

issues w mRNA vaccines

Answer 2

need mRNA to be stable and be put in the right vector, including stuff like appropriate UTRs, need to optimise codons, remove impurities, ensure correct polyA tail length etc

Question 3

when was smallpox eradicated?

Answer 3

1980

Question 4

a success of herd immunity

Answer 4

diptheria- major drop in cases in the 40s after the vaccine was introduced

Question 5

malaria vaccine challenges

Answer 5

malaria has a complex life cycle- hard to choose the right antigens, avoid escape mechanisms etc

Question 6

BCG issue

Answer 6

very variable success- looking for alternatives but it’s difficult