Principles of Immunisation

Question 1

What are the 2 types of immunisation?

Answer 1

Adapted (active)

Innate (passive)

Question 2

What is the difference between adapted and innate immunity?

Answer 2

Adapted is altered by some mechanism whereas innate is naturally within the organism.

Question 3

Give some examples of adapted immunity.

Answer 3

Infection/exposure, immunisation.

Question 4

Give some examples of innate immunity.

Answer 4

Placental transfer of IgB, immune cellular therapy.

Question 5

What are the advantages of innate immunity?

Answer 5

Immediate protection, quick fix,

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of innate immunity?

Answer 6

Short term, no immunological memory, serum sickness

Question 7

What are natural examples of active immunity?

Answer 7

Infection / exposure

Question 8

What are artificial examples of active immunity?

Answer 8

Vaccination

Question 9

What are the advantages of active immunity?

Answer 9

Long term immunity

Immunological memory

Question 10

What are the disadvantages of active immunity?

Answer 10

No immediate response but the response is faster and better in the next antigen encounter.

Question 11

What initiates the response in active immunity?

Answer 11

Antigen exposure.

Question 12

What is vaccination?

Answer 12

Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material (a vaccine) to stimulate an individual’s immune system to develop adaptive immunity to a pathogen.

Question 13

Give some examples of common vaccinations.

Answer 13

MMR (measles/mumps/rubella), tetanus, polio etc

Question 14

What is a vaccine that kills the whole organism?

Answer 14

Target organism is destroyed, effective and relatively easy to manufacture, booster shots required.

Question 15

What is a vaccine of the attenuated whole organism?

Answer 15

Avirulent strain of the target organism is attenuated, can be more effective than if killed, stimulates natural infection response, refrigeration of vaccine required.

Question 16

What are the advantages of sub-unit vaccinations with recombinant proteins?

Answer 16

Generally safe, easy to standardise.

Question 17

What are the disadvantages of sub-unit vaccinations with recombinant proteins?

Answer 17

Not very immunogenic without an effective adjuvant.

Question 18

What is a toxin vaccination?

Answer 18

A toxin vaccination is when a toxin is treated with formalin- it retains its antigenicity but loses its toxicity.

Question 19

What are toxins treated with to produce toxin vaccinations?

Answer 19

Formalin.

Question 20

What are temporary patient limits on vaccination?

Answer 20

Pregnancy- cannot be given live-attenuated vaccines.

Febrile illness.

Question 21

What are permanent patient limits on vaccination?

Answer 21

Allergy, immunocompromised (may develop real disease).

Question 22

What is herd immunity?

Answer 22

Herd immunity describes the fact that unvaccinated people are often more protected against certain diseases due to mass vaccination of the general public- they are ‘herded’ to increase their superficial immunity.

Question 23

What makes a good vaccine?

Answer 23

Immunological memory
Potent antibody response
CD8+ cytotoxic cell response
CD4+ helper cell response

Question 24

What is antigenic drift?

Answer 24

Drift arising from point mutations.

Question 25

Why should vaccination be persistent?

Answer 25

Should give life-long protection.

Question 26

What is the cold chain network?

Answer 26

The network limiting vaccination through keeping them cold through transit from production to administration.

Question 27

Why are neonates more vulnerable during vaccination?

Answer 27

Encapsulated bacteria, weaker immune system, short term antibody production.

Question 28

Why are the elderly more vulnerable during vaccination?

Answer 28

Reduced efficacy/response to vaccination, oglioclonal responses lack specificity, reduced survival niches of plasma cell (weakened immune systems).

Question 29

What is a conjugate vaccine?

Answer 29

The antigen is the carbohydrate capsule. Carbohydrates are poor antigens as they don't stimulate the immune system as much as protein antigens- usually conjugated to a protein.

Question 30

Why are carbohydrate capsule antigens usually conjugated to a protein?

Answer 30

Increased stimulation of immune system as carbohydrates are poor single antigens.

Question 31

Can vaccines control cancer?

Answer 31

70% HPV strains vaccinated against, with 100% of them linking to cervical cancer. More developments needed.

Question 32

What are vaccinomics?

Answer 32

Personalised vaccines- centred around individual patient profile in terms of genetics etc.

Question 33

What are humans the only natural host of?

Answer 33

PV- important in vaccination as there is no other vaccine reservoir.