Vaccines

Flashcards covering the definitions, types of immunity, antibody responses, and vaccine types based on the lecture notes.

Antigen

Antibody generators.

Epitopes

Multiple different parts on an antigen's surface that different B cells recognize

allow an antigen to give rise to more than one antibody.

Vaccination

introduction of a pathogen (whole live or dead, or portion) to stimulate the immune system and stop future infections w/out the person getting the disease.

Active immunity

When the body is presented with an antigen and makes its own antibodies and keeps memory cells for long term production.

Passive immunity

When a person receives ready-made antibodies from another source; protection is fast but no memory is created.

Naturally acquired immunity

Immunity that naturally occurs, typically passed from mother to baby through breast milk or the placenta.

Artificially acquired immunity

When antibodies are given medically through injection or treatment.

Characteristics of a good vaccine

• A vaccine that is safe

• inexpensive,

• protects against pathogens

• provides sustained protection.

Primary antibody response

The response when an antigen is first introduced; antibodies take a while to respond and peak at around $14$ days.

Secondary antibody response

A response that is much faster, where more antibodies are made and they bind better to antigens.

Live-attenuated vaccine

A vaccine that uses a weakened version of a living pathogen.

DNA Vaccine

A vaccination method that involves injecting a gene that makes the protein.

Killed pathogen vaccine

A vaccine that injects a dead pathogen that cannot reproduce and often requires a booster.

Subunit vaccine

A vaccine that contains only specific pieces of a pathogen.

Herd immunity

When enough people in a population are immune to a disease (such as measles), making it difficult for it to spread or transmit.