Vaccines Flashcards
What is passive immunity?
the transfer of preformed antibodies to an individual
What is active immunity?
the body’s response to an exposure to a potential pathogen, hopefully resulting in a long term response
What are some situations where you would provide passive immunization?
- Protection against toxins/virus and things in the short run
- Protection against things that attack due to current or chronic immune deficiency
- Rho-gam
What are the characteristics of inactivated viral vaccines?
May not produce as good or long-term protection
What are some examples of inactivated viral vaccine?
Inactivated influenza, rabies, polio (Salk) vaccine
What are some advantages of attenuated viral vaccines?
- Effective and good for long-term protection
- Can be lifelong although some boosters may be recommended
- They can infect cells leading to an antibody and CTL response for the future
What is the disadvantage of attenuated viral vaccines?
The organisms are live so there is a risk of infection, particularly with those that have immune deficiencies
What are examples of attenuated viral vaccines?
MMR, Varicella, Rotavirus, the live oral flu vaccine
What are examples of a purified antigen vaccines for toxoids?
Tetanus and diphtheria
What is an example of a synthetic vaccine?
Hep B
The Tdap vaccine is an example of….
a combination vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis)
What are vaccine adjuvants?
substances added to the vaccine to improve or stimulate a response
What is unique about the smallpox vaccine?
The response generated does not kill the virus but changes it in the body. If you interact with someone who is unvaccinated, they may need to take antibiotics to prevent infection
What are some risks of vaccines?
- Local reactions upon injection
- Mild systemic reactions such as fever, fatigue, irritability
- Varied allergic reactions
