Vaccines and herd immunity

Question 1

define: vaccine

Answer 1

injection of dead/attenuated pathogens

Question 2

how do vaccines not cause disease but activate the immune system?

Answer 2

because pathogens are killed or attenuated (treated but not killed) - can’t cause disease
antigens are the same as on the harmful pathogen

Question 3

how does one gain direct protection from infectious disease?

Answer 3

vaccine/experiencing it and recovering naturally

Question 4

how does one gain indirect protection from infectious disease??

Answer 4

herd immunity

Question 5

define: herd immunity

Answer 5

indirect protection of populations from infection where that protection is created from the presence of immune individuals in the population and the protection is received by unvaccinated individuals.

Question 6

how can herd immunity be achieved?

Answer 6

through mass vaccination programs - they prevent the spread/eliminate some contagious infectious diseases

Question 7

herd immunity only applies to:

Answer 7

contagious infectious diseases

Question 8

describe how herd immunity works

Answer 8

o The higher, the less likely the unimmunised people will come into contact with the infectious individual.
o Therefore, the infection is less likely to spread and reach other non vaccinated members of the community – creating herd immunity.
o Furthermore, if a pathogen can’t find a host, the disease will disappear over time