Week 5: Vaccines and Immunizations

Vocabulary

Toxoid – toxin modified through chemicals or heat, antigen intact

         Subunit – Just the antigen, no toxin

         Cold chain – Cold shipping to keep virus/bacteria alive

         Polysaccharide and protein antigens – more potent vaccines

Immediate immunity – antibodies

I. Live attenuation

1. Whole pathogen

2. Decreased in virulence

                  A. Repeated culturing – BCG

                  B. Growing in cells the organism isn’t accustomed to

                  C. Genetic modification

         3. Types

                  A. Flumist

                  B. Oral Polio

                  C. MMR – measles, mumps, rubella

         4. Reversion

                                     A. Oral vaccines have a possibility of reversion to virulence

                  B. Especially if the gene is just turned off

II.  Inactivated Vaccines

1.    No reversion to virulence

2.    Can be freeze dried

3.    Needs booster

4.    Toxoids

a.    Needs boosters

b.    Tetanus, diphtheria

5.    Subunit

a.    Natural, synthetic, recombinant

                                                       i.     Synthetic possible, build a protein in a lab.

6.    Conjugate vaccines

a.    Pneumo-Hib (misnomer)

                                                       i.     Conjugate increases antigen response

b.    For ease of injection or increased response

III. Immunity

1.    Naturally acquired

a.    Infections

2.    Artificially acquired

a.    Active

                                                       i.     Vaccines

b.    Passive

                                                       i.     Natural

1.    breastmilk

2.    IgA, IgG (transplacental)

                                                     ii.     Artificial

1.    Immunoglobulin, human or horse generally