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Vaccinations
A vaccine is the preparation of dead microorganisms, living weakened microorganisms or inactivated toxins. Its administration induces the development of immunity and protection against a pathogen or toxin and is called a vaccination.
1,376 Questions
Which vaccine is produced by using only a part of the viral genome?
Subunit vaccines are produced using only a part of the viral genome. These vaccines use specific proteins or fragments of the virus to stimulate an immune response without causing infection. An example of a subunit vaccine is the Hepatitis B vaccine.
Which cells make you immune to a disease that you were previously exposed to?
"Memory B cells" of the immune system stay in your body after an infection to enable quick immune responses to the disease-causing organism (antigen) if later exposed again. Antibodies are proteins made by the type of white blood cells called B-cells/"plasma cells" in response to the presence of antigens. The antibodies attach to the B-cells as "B-cell Receptors" to activate them, and can cause them to become either the memory B-cells or more plasma cells.
What does Most bacterial vaccines contain?
There are 2 types of vaccines:
(1) Live ("attenuated", or bred to be harmless)
(2) Killed (dead disease-causing particles)
Live vaccines can be more effective, don't usually need 'booster' shots later to make them work better, but are less able to be given to immunocompromised or pregnant people as they are still alive.
Killed vaccines are less effective, often requiring boosters, but can be given to immunocompromised people and (often) pregnant ladies. They are used with an "adjuvant", or a substance that helps them work better (makes your body more able to make antibodies to them faster).
Both types of vaccines have 'epitopes', or molecules that your body recognises. These epitopes are the SAME as what is on the actual disease-causing particles. This is why they work - your body sees the "HARMLESS" particles and learns to recognise them, or creates "antibodies" that help your body respond to the actual thing when it appears.
It takes time to create these antibodies, so if you can make them BEFORE the actual disease finds its way into your body, you can respond much faster and destroy the virus particles before they can cause you harm.
The type of vaccine depends on what has been developed. There are benefits of both ways, but it is not always easy to do both.
Side note: occasionally, you will hear about how "vaccines are horrible, and cause more harm than good". Most of the time, people use multi-resistant organisms as examples, however, these organisms become resistant to ANTIBIOTICS, and NOT vaccines! Having antibodies is natural, unlike many antibiotics! They are NOT comparable! Antibodies are a post-infection method of disease control, whereas vaccines prevent the disease from establishing. Thus, vaccines have in the past been used rather successfully to rid the world of several diseases! (Which we can ALL be extremely grateful for!!!!!)
Another poorly-used example was that of the smallpox vaccine causing many deaths. Reasons why this example is tragically misused is that it was the first-ever attempt at vaccination in recorded history (we no longer live in such an age where we must rely on random human-testing of live NON-attenuated pathogen injection!). Smallpox protection included injecting pus from the lesions of an infected person (or another vaccinated person) to create antibodies.
Case in point: we no longer inject pus into people... it's a good way to spread other infections, and is less reliable in results. We no longer live in the 'dark ages' of immunology. The first attempts at reaching space failed badly, and yet nobody seems to be boycotting space travel now that science and technology has improved, so please be open-minded if anyone ever tells you that in vaccines, in general, are "bad". Okay? :)
It is a vaccine for the prevention of bacterial meningococcal disease and meningitis (infection of the covering of the brain and spinal cord).
From manufacturer package literature:
"Menactra vaccine is indicated for active immunization to prevent invasive meningococcal disease caused by N meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135. Menactra vaccine is approved for use in individuals 9 months through 55 years of age. Menactra vaccine does not prevent N meningitidis serogroup B disease. "
What are vaccines for influenza made from?
If the influenza vaccine is to be made from a live virus, then the strain is selected, grown, and then weakened (usually chemically) to be able to trigger an immune response but not be strong enough to cause the infection. If it is to be made using a "dead" or inert virus that also does the same to trigger immune response and antibody production without causing infection, then the virus is grown and then made inactive before being used in the vaccine.
Once the virus particles needed are produced one of the two ways above, they are purified, isolated and combined with administration medium that is either for injection or for use with a mist/inhalation administration medium.
There are sometimes adjuvants added that will make a little go a long way (these are not used in the US flu vaccines). This way smaller doses are needed and so more vaccine can be distributed to more people in shorter times. This is helpful if the strain is not easily or quickly grown and vaccine is needed quickly.
There are also preservatives added to maintain the purity of the vaccine. This is needed especially in multi-dose vials that are not used entirely upon opening of the sterile vials. Single dose vials and syringes are usually available without the addition of these preservatives for people with special needs or Allergies to the preservatives.
For a full list of the common ingredients used today in flu vaccines, see the related question below about the specific ingredients in the swine flu vaccine.
How have vaccines changed the world?
Hello there!
Vaccines have saved many lives, especially from nasty viruses like smallpox and poliomyelitis which claimed several human lives, and other terrible bacterial infections like diphtheria, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae infections in children, to name a few.
So yeah, vaccines have saved many lives, including mine and yours as well and that is why many of us don't have paralysis either from polio and so on.
Hope this helped you! 😄
What cells give vaccines the ability to make people immune?
Vaccines contain dead or weakened versions of a virus. The body then develops a defense against this virus so that the next time the real virus comes along, the body can identify it and fight it off.
This process of defense development takes place in the immune system of the body. Specialized cells (called b-cells) are created by the bone marrow. These are the cells that produce antibodies. Antibodies work to attack and disable antigens (foreign particles or organisms that have invaded the body, or that the body thinks are invaders). Once the body has developed antibodies for a particular invader, the pattern of those antibodies is stored by the immune system, and duplicates can be readily produced to attack if that invader, or one like it, is detected again. That is what gives you immunity.
See the related questions below for additional information.
Are the microbes that are injected in a vaccination dead or alive?
They can be either. Some vaccines are made with dead viruses or particles of viruses and other vaccines are made with attenuated (weakened) viruses that are not able to make an otherwise healthy person sick. In 2009 the swine flu vaccine approved for use in the US was prepared both ways, the nasal flu vaccine was made from attenuated viruses and the shots were made with dead viruses.
What is an advantage of the use of vaccinations to fight bacterial diseases?
Vaccinations can provide long-term protection against bacterial diseases by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies. This helps prevent infection and reduce the spread of bacterial illnesses within a population. Vaccinations can also lower the overall burden of disease, saving lives and reducing healthcare costs.
What is a vaccine for bacterial meningitis?
There are vaccines available for certain types of bacterial meningitis, particularly caused by Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Vaccines like MenACWY and PCV13 help protect against these bacteria by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies against them. Vaccination is an effective way to prevent bacterial meningitis and its complications.
What are cell culture based vaccines?
Cell culture-based vaccines are vaccines that are produced using cell cultures rather than traditional methods involving live organisms or eggs. By using cell cultures, these vaccines can be produced more rapidly, with greater consistency and purity. This technology also reduces the risk of contamination and allows for the production of vaccines against viruses that cannot be easily grown in eggs.
What is the risk associated with vaccines prepared from dead or weakened pathogenic microbes?
In the US there are two types of vaccines approved for the seasonal flu, a vaccine for injection into the muscle and a vaccine mist for spray into the nose. The side effects are different depending on which you use. The mist is only available to healthy people age 2 - 49. The shots are approved for use in anyone 6 months old and over unless there are allergies that prevent their use. Infants under 6 months old can not be vaccinated until they are older.
The shots use a dead virus and the nasal mist is made with attenuated (weakened) viruses that can't make you sick if you have an otherwise normal immune system.
They are made exactly like they have been made for decades with an exceptionally good track record of low incidence of adverse effects or allergic reactions.
Life-threatening allergic reactions to vaccines are very rare. If they do occur, it is usually within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccination. It is recommended that you report to the nurse before you receive the vaccination if you have any medication or food allergies (especially to eggs or chicken).
The most commonly reported side effects of thenasal mist include:
- Some children and adolescents 2-17 years of age have reported mild reactions, including: runny nose, nasal congestion or cough; fever; headache and muscle aches; wheezing; abdominal pain or occasional vomiting or diarrhea.
- Some adults 18-49 years of age have reported: runny nose or nasal congestion; sore throat; cough, chills, tiredness/weakness; headache.
The most frequently reported side effects of the flu shots are:
- Mild hypersensitivity reactions (such as rash).
- Local reactions at the injection site such as tenderness, redness, swelling, pain or soreness.
- The most common systemic adverse reactions were headache, malaise, and muscle aches. Fever is rare, but a very mild fever is possible the first day or two.
In 1976, an earlier type of inactivated swine flu vaccine was associated with cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). There has not been any link to GBS with the use of the nasal mists.
The shots are made an entirely different way now than they were made in the 1970's. The new way has been proven for over 30 years.
What is the difference between vaccine and antibiotic?
Antibiotics treat current infections. Vaccines create antibodies to deal with a future infection.
When did the H1N1 vaccine come out?
A while ago. It just recently started being given out to patients.
P.S - I would recommend this shot. I felt a little light headed the next day but I won't get the flu so it's all worth it !
Why are scientists using eggs to develop the swine flu vaccine?
To make vaccine for a program of vaccinations in a population group, first the scientists need a certain amount of the virus that can be turned into the weakened version of the virus to use in the vaccination. Since viruses are not really alive, and since they need a host to provide cells to do the work of their reproduction for them, the scientists give them the egg as the host and, just like the virus makes our bodies do when we catch a cold or flu, it will make the egg cells do the same thing to make more virus particles so the scientists can grow a supply from which to make the vaccine.
For a full explanation of this process, see the related link section below.
How do you know if you need the BCG Vaccine?
BCG i.e. bacille Calmette Guerin vaccine used to prevent tuberculosis and also given to prevent compications like such as meningitis in many countries ( not in US). The BCG vaccine confers a positive PPD skin test result but appears to protect only about half of those inoculated
What are the side effects of Tetnus vaccine?
Common side effects of the Tetanus vaccine include pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site, mild fever, headache, and fatigue. More serious side effects are rare but can include severe allergic reactions or neurological problems. It is important to discuss any concerns with a healthcare provider before getting the vaccine.
Who made the first influenza vaccine?
The first vaccine is the virus cowpox (the latin word for cow is vacca, hence vaccine). It produces a very mild and harmless infection in people but protects them from smallpox, one of the most deadly diseases in history.
Today, smallpox has been eradicated from the wild due to a worldwide effort to vaccinate enough people to wipe it out.
How did edward jenner know that the smallpox vaccine would work?
He didn't know it would work, that is why he tested it for both safety & effectiveness.
- Safety, his cowpox pus based inoculation caused fewer and milder symptoms than the existing smallpox pus based inoculation, also it produced no cases of smallpox a common problem of the existing inoculation.
- Effectiveness, when vaccinated a person was later exposed to smallpox and did not catch it.
Note: vaccina is Latin for cow.
Do you need vaccinations traveling from England to Kenya?
yes you do, because of all the dieases and stuff
uu would have to get some like..
hepatitus a+b,typoid,yellow fever,polio,rabies, tenatus (if uu havent already had it) and measles (MMR).
hope this clears things up.
What is a disk diffusion test?
In the disk diffusion test (also called the Kirby Bauer test), disks containing an antimicrobial agent are placed on the surface of an agar plate containing a medium that has been inoculated with the disease agent being tested, which will grow and fill the disk. The antimicrobial agent diffuses into the medium, killing some of the disease agent around where the anitmicrobial agent was innoculated, depending on how susceptible the disease agent is to the antimicrobial agent. The size of the area cleared of the disease agent shows how effective the antimicrobial agent is.
Why was the universal flu vaccine not made earlier?
I am afraid the answer below is wrong, as researchers have managed to make one to the core proteins that don't change between strains. I was just wondering why it hadn't been done earlier. (quote of Wrong answer) There is no universal flu vaccine. It must be reformulated each year to try to match the flu strains though likely to be most important in the coming flu season. (end quote of wrong answer)
The fact that a universal flu has not been made earlier (though as of October 2008 is not commercially available) likely has to do with funding issues, changing technologies and the requirement for studies and clinical trials.
Since Type A flu mutates more readily than Type B, the research is aimed at finding and utilizing aspects flu viruses that do not readily mutate. So the mechanisms that would make it work are not the normal killed-virus vaccine. They must go through a process of studies and clinical trials before they will be approved by FDA. Fear of the Avian flu has spurred the research.
See Related Links for more information.
What happens after you receive a vaccination for influenza?
There are two types of flu vaccine - the injection, which contains killed virus, and the nasal spray, which contains live, weakened flu virus as the antigen that sparks the immune response.
About two weeks after the vaccination adults are protected against the specific types of flu virus included in the vaccine. There are usually 3 types in the seasonal flu vaccinations.
Some possible side effects of the vaccine are soreness at the injection site, achiness in muscles, or a very mild fever. These effects usually only last one or two days, or not at all.
Children over 6 months and under 10 years usually receive a series of two flu vaccinations about a month apart, since their immune systems aren't able to respond with full immunization without the "booster". Usually two to three weeks after the second vaccination, they will be fully protected from those specific virus infections as long as they have an otherwise healthy immune system.
See the related link for more information.
CHEMOTHERAPY: The treatment of illness or disease by chemicals. The compounds used are known as chemotheraputic agents. PASTEURIZATION: The process of heating milk and other liquids to destroy microorganisms which can cause spoilage or disease. STERILE FILTRATION: The process of filtering heat liable substances like enzymes and some drugs. The filter used can filter out microorganisms e.g. HEPA filter. VACCINATION: A prepration of either killed microoganism; living, weakened microorganism; or inactivated bacterial toxins, when adminstrated to induce development of the immune response and protect the individual against a pathogen or a toxin is called vaccination. RADIATION: The treatment of illness or disease like cancer by radiations lide magnetic radiations is called radiation therapy.
