Lecture 3 Great Diseases of The World

What is variolation?

an induced case of smallpox to stimulate the immunological memory and rendering the patient immune to further exposure

What did Edward Jenner do to vaccinate people against smallpox?

Inoculated people (James Phipps) with cowpox to create immunity to smallpox

Describe the role of Louis Pasteur in advancing vaccines and vaccination?

• Invented how to make vaccines 

What is the principle of vaccination?

After the vaccine is administered

• the Primary immune response kicks in and the memory cells remain

After infected by the pathogen

• Secondary response occurs

What infectious diseases have been eradicated from the world so far?

• Smallpox

• Rinderpest (cattle plague virus)

What are the goals of vaccination?

• Increase resistance of people to infection

  • Greater the degree of immunity, the higher the dose of 

• If vaccination cannot prevent infection, then

  • Reduce the probability that vaccinated people develop clinical disease or reduce the severity of their clinical signs

  • Reduce the shedding & transmission of pathogen 

• Establish herd immunity 

What is herd immunity?

 protecting a whole community from disease by immunizing a critical mass of its populace. 

• Vaccination protects more than just the vaccinated person. By breaking the chain of an infection's transmission, vaccination can also protect people who haven't been immunized. But to work, this protection requires that a certain percentage of people in a community be vaccinated 

What are some characteristics of ideal vaccines?

• Protective immunity - Gives long term protective immunity 

• One or few doses needed to give protective immunity 

• Safety - No side effects 

• Stability – Retains activity for a long time at different temperatures → cold chain. 

• Ease of administration 

• Suitable for mass vaccination 

• Manufacture - Ease of scale-up 

• Low cost 

What agency of the US government regulates human vaccines?

OASH (Office of disease prevention and health promotion)

• NVAC (National Vaccine Advisory Committee)

List some common adverse events to vaccination

• mid or short duration

• Swelling, pain/soreness

How was the myth of vaccines cause autism fabricated

Discuss the global public health threat of anti-vaccination movement

leads to vaccine hesitancy

• the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines 

A friend says, "If vaccines are so safe, why are there lists of possible side effects on the information sheets?" Which explanation is most accurate and helpful?

A. The lists are there only for legal reasons and have nothing to do with real risks.

B. Information sheets list known and potential side effects to support informed decision-making and transparency, even when serious effects are very rare.

C. Vaccines are actually very dangerous, and the long lists show that most people will experience serious reactions.

D. Side effects are listed to scare people so that only the bravest will choose vaccination

B. Information sheets list known and potential side effects to support informed decision-making and transparency, even when serious effects are very rare.

In discussing vaccine safety, which type of evidence provides the most reliable information about rare but serious side effects of a widely used vaccine?

A. Personal experience of a single clinician who has practiced for many years.

B. Anecdotal description of events on social media.

C. Small laboratory studies on a handful of volunteers.

D. Large, well-designed epidemiological studies comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated populations over time

D. Large, well-designed epidemiological studies comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated populations over time