Infectious Disease and Immunization Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering immunization protocols, vaccine contraindications, and key infectious diseases including Hepatitis, Lyme disease, and STIs based on clinical lecture notes.

Routine Vaccinations

Standard immunizations including tetanus, diphtheria, polio, and MMR.

HIV Immunization (Inactivated)

Safe vaccines for HIV patients including annual influenza and pneumococcal vaccines.

Live Vaccines (UK List)

Vaccines including Rotavirus, MMR, Nasal flu, Shingles (Zostavax), Chickenpox (Varicella), BCG, Yellow fever, Oral typhoid, and Oral Polio.

Contraindications to Live Vaccines

Key conditions preventing administration include pregnancy and immunosuppression.

BCG Vaccine Contraindications

Excluded for individuals with previous BCG vaccination, history of TB, HIV, pregnancy, a positive tuberculin test, or age over $35$ years.

Intranasal Influenza Vaccine Contraindications

Includes immunocompromised status, age $< 2$ years, acute fever, severe asthma (BTS step 4), egg allergy, pregnancy, or taking aspirin due to Reye's syndrome risk.

Vaccine Storage Requirements

Surgeries must store vaccines at $+2ºC$ to $+8ºC$ in original packaging, monitoring temperature daily with a maximum-minimum thermometer.

Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine Targets

Offered to all adults over $65$ and those with asplenia, chronic respiratory/heart/kidney/liver disease, diabetes requiring medication, or cochlear implants.

HPV Strains 6 and 11

Human papillomavirus strains primarily responsible for causing genital warts.

HPV Strains 16 and 18

Human papillomavirus strains linked to various cancers, specifically cervical cancer.

Shingrix Vaccine

A shingles vaccine recommended for the severely immunosuppressed aged $\text{50 and over}$ and routinely for immunocompetent individuals starting at age $60$.

Tetanus Vaccine Schedule

Routine UK immunization given at $2$, $3$, and $4$ months, with boosters at $3-5$ years and $13-18$ years.

High-risk Tetanus Prone Wounds

Wounds containing foreign bodies, compound fractures, systemic sepsis, or heavy contamination with soil or manure.

RSV Vaccination (Older Adults)

Practices offer this to adults turning $75$ years old, with catch-up programs for those aged $75$ to $79$ as of August 31, 2024.

RSV Vaccination (Pregnancy)

One dose administered from $28$ weeks of pregnancy to protect infants; prescribed off-label after $36$ weeks.

Yellow Fever Vaccine (Stamaril)

A live vaccine providing lifelong protection; contraindicated in infants $< 6$ months, immunocompromised individuals, and those with thymus disorders.

Post-Splenectomy Blood Film Findings

Characterized by the presence of Howell-Jolly bodies, target cells, and Pappenheimer bodies.

Legionella pneumophilia

An intracellular bacterium causing Legionnaires’ disease, often colonizing water tanks and cooling systems; diagnosed via urinary antigen test.

Borrelia burgdorferi

The spirochaete spread by ticks that causes Lyme disease.

Erythema migrans

The characteristic 'bulls-eye' rash of Lyme disease, typically appearing $1-4$ weeks after a tick bite and measuring $> 5,cm$ in diameter.

Bartonella henselae

A Gram-negative bacillus causing Cat scratch disease, typically presenting with regional lymphadenopathy following a feline scratch/bite.

Hepatitis A

An RNA picornavirus transmitted via the faecal-oral route, causing a flu-like prodrome and jaundice without chronic disease.

HBsAg

Hepatitis B surface antigen; its presence signifies an acute or chronic infection.

Anti-HBs

Hepatitis B surface antibody; levels $> 100$ indicate an adequate response to vaccination.

Chlamydia trachomatis

The organism causing Chlamydia, often asymptomatic in $70$ of women and $50$ of men; treated first-line with Doxycycline $100,mg$ BD for $7$ days.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae

The organism causing Gonorrhoea, treated first-line with a single $1,g$ intramuscular dose of Ceftriaxone.

MRSA Nasal Suppression

Treated using Mupirocin $2$ in soft white paraffin, applied three times daily (TDS) for $5$ days.