7.4

• immunisation - programming the immune system for the body to respond to infections rapidly

  vaccination - artificial introduction of antigens of pathogenic organisms
• Live attenuated vaccines:

  • attenuated micro-organisms - has reduced ability to virtulence
  • immunised person manufactures antibodies against the antigen without contracting the disease
  • eg. polio, tubercolosis, rubella, measles, mumps, yellow fever
• Inactivated vaccines:

  • contain dead micro-organisms
  • immunity is shorter lasting
  • eg. cholera, typhoid, whooping cough
• Toxoid vaccines:

  • toxoid - inactivated toxins
  • used for bacteria that produces effect via toxin liberation
  • eg. diptheria, tetanus
• Sub-unit vaccines:

  • fragment of organism used
  • sufficient enough to provoke immune response
  • eg. HPV, hepatitis B
• Alternative methods of immunisation: (recombinant DNA)

  • slightly changing DNA in micro-organism’s cell
  • insert certain DNA sequences from pathogen into non-pathogenic bacteria
• Vaccine delivery:

  • injection via syringe
  • oral as syrup or lumps of sugar
  • fine spray
  • skin patches
  • food ingestion
• • herd immunity large number of people that are immunised where those not immunised are protected
• Health factors:

  • allergy - may occur from the medium the vaccine was cultured in
  • preservative - concerns on it causing health issues
• Social factors:

  • use of animals for culturing and testing vaccines
  • use of human tissue from foetuses
  • lack of informed consent with trialling vaccines (unaware of risks)
  • vaccines again STI promotes sexual activity in teenagers
  • lack availability in certain areas
• Cultural factors:

  • certain religions against use of vaccines
  • eg. First Born and First Church of Christ
• Economic factors:

  • cost - may be too expensive
  • commercialisation - interests of commercial vaccines may affect its use
• antibiotic - drugs to treat infections of micro-organisms

  bactericidal antibiotic - changes structure of the cell membrane or by disrupting protein synthesis

  bacteriostatic antibiotics - stops bacteria from reproducing (usually via disrupting protein synthesis)

  broad-spectrum antibiotics - affects a wide range of different bacteria types

  narrow-spectrum antibiotics - only effective against specific types of bacteria

  multiple drug resistance - bacteria resistant to many types of antibiotics

  antivirals - treats viral infections