Vaccines Flashcards
What’s the difference between a cold and flu?
The common cold is typically milder, with symptoms like a runny or stuffy nose and cough. Influenza (flu) is more severe, marked by sudden onset of high fever, body aches, and fatigue, diarrhea.
Compare egg based vs cell culture-based vaccines
Egg-based vaccines use chicken eggs for virus production, while cell culture-based vaccines use mammalian cell cultures. Cell culture methods are faster, more flexible, and avoid potential egg-related issues.
For egg-based we have an unstable supply, production of about 6 months, selection of variants, waste disposal, allergic reactions and contamination. For Cell-culture vaccines, we have security of supply, production time of 3 months, rapid scale-up, well characterized vaccines, antigenic stability, and sterile processes.
Why do we need annual flu shots?
Annual flu shots are needed because influenza viruses constantly mutate, leading to new strains each year. The vaccine is updated annually to provide protection against the specific flu strains expected to circulate.
Do flu vaccines prevent colds and, if not, why?
Flu vaccines do not prevent colds because the flu and the common cold are caused by different viruses. The flu vaccine specifically targets influenza viruses, not the rhinoviruses and other viruses responsible for the common cold.
What are the unique advantages of mRNA vaccines?
Rapid development, adaptability to new variants, no live virus, scalability, potential for broad applications, a single platform for different diseases, reduced allergen risk, and the ability to stimulate a strong immune response. Also no harmful ingredients.
