Vaccines

Question 1

What is active immunity?

Answer 1

Protection produced by a person’s own immune system by natural (infection) or artificial (immunisation) means

Question 2

What is passive immunity?

Answer 2

Protection transferred from another person or animal as antibodies which can be natural (transplacental) or artificial (immunoglobulin transfusions)

Question 3

How is immunisation distinct from vaccination?

Answer 3

Vaccination is induced immunisation via a vaccine

Immunisation uses both a vaccine and the transfer of antibodies

Question 4

What is an antigen?

Answer 4

A live or inactivated substance capable of producing an immune response

Question 5

What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving antibodies as passive immunity?

Answer 5

Provides rapid protection
Can be given to those who cannot receive a vaccine
Expensive
Potential for adverse events
Limited evidence for use
Only provides temporary protection as it does not stimulate the immune system itself to produce antibodies

Question 6

What is eradication?

Answer 6

The disease and causal agent are removed wroldwide

Question 7

Give an example of a disease which has been eradicated

Answer 7

Small pox

Question 8

Gove an example of a disease which has been eliminiated

Answer 8

Polio

Question 9

What is elimination of a disease?

Answer 9

When a disease has disappeared from one WHO region but remains elsewhere

Question 10

What is containment of a disease?

Answer 10

When a disease no longer constitutes a significant public health problem

Question 11

What is primary failure of a vaccine?

Answer 11

When an individual fails to make an adequate response to the initial vaccination

Question 12

What is secondary failure of a vaccine?

Answer 12

When an individual makes an adequate response initially but then immunity wanes over time

Question 13

What happens to the frequency of adverse events with increased number of doses for live an inactivated vaccines?

Answer 13

Live vaccines decreases frequency of adverse events

Inactivated vaccines increases frequency

Question 14

Within what time period after vaccination do adverse events usually occur for inactivated vaccines?

Answer 14

48 hours

Question 15

Give examples fo contraindications for live vaccines

Answer 15

Primary immunodeficiency
Chemotherapy
Haematopoietic stem cell transplant
Solid organ transplant
HIV infection
Systemic corticosteroid use
Immunosuppressive drug therapy

Question 16

What are live vaccines composed of?

Answer 16

Attenuated strains of the pathogen which replicate in host

Question 17

In relation to live vaccines what does attenuated mean?

Answer 17

The pathogen has been weakened to reduce virulence so that it cannot cause disease in healthy people

Question 18

Gove examples of live vaccines

Answer 18

MMR
BCG
Yellow fever

Question 19

What are inactivated vaccines composed of?

Answer 19

Whole intact killed organisms or acellular or recombinant with adjuvant

Question 20

What inactivated vaccines use whole killed organisms?

Answer 20

Pertsussis
Influenza
Rabies
Hepatitis A

Question 21

What vaccines are acellular?

Answer 21

HPV

diptheria

Question 22

Give examples of recombinant inactivated vaccines

Answer 22

Meningitis B

Hepatitis B

Question 23

Live vaccines provide longer lasting immunity than inactivated vaccines. T/F?

Answer 23

True

Question 24

Conjugate vaccines have a polysaccharide antigen linked to a protein antigen. These are designed particularly for what age group?

Answer 24

Under 2s

Question 25

What is heard immunity?

Answer 25

The level of immunity in the population which protects the whole population through preventing spread of the pathogen

Question 26

How can the herd immunity threshold be calculated?

Answer 26

Herd immunity threshold = 1 - (1/R0) where R0is the basic reproductive number

Question 27

What is R0, the basic reproductive number?

Answer 27

The number of secondary infections produced by a typical infective in a totally susceptible population

Question 28

What is the incubation period of pertussis?

Answer 28

6-20 days

Question 29

What are the initial symptoms of whooping cough?

Answer 29

Runny nose
Watery eyes
Sneezing
Fever
Mild cough

Question 30

What are the serious complications of whooping cough?

Answer 30

Collapsed lung
Pneumonia
Altered consciousness
Convulsions
Permanent brain damage
Severe weight loss
Apneic attacks
Death

Question 31

What committee makes recommendations to the health department on UK vaccine policy?

Answer 31

Joint committee of vaccination and immunisation

Question 32

Vaccines are recommended for the youngest age group at risk of experiencing the disease for whom the vaccine’s efficacy and safety have been demonstrated. T/F?

Answer 32

True

Question 33

Surveillance in order to inform vaccine policy involves…?

Answer 33

Assessment of disease incidence, susceptibility, vaccine coverage and monitoring of adverse events

Question 34

What is a patient group directive?

Answer 34

A written instruction of the sale, supply or administration of named medicines in an identified clinical situation. And applies to groups of patients who may not be individually identified before presenting for treatment

Question 35

What is a patient specific directive?

Answer 35

A written instruction from an independent prescriber to another healthcare professional to supply and or administer a medicine directly to a named patient or to several named patients

Question 36

What problems are encountered in trying to eliminate and eradicate diseases such as measles and malaria?

Answer 36

Funding
Coverage
Uptake of vaccine
Surveillance
Multiple agency involvement
Suspicion  and mistrust
Violence