Vaccines Flashcards

Flashcards for reviewing vaccine information, including types, terms, and core/non-core vaccines for canines and felines.

Vaccine

A substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, its products, or a synthetic substitute, treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease.

Antigen

A substance that triggers an immune system response.

Antibody

A substance the immune system makes in response to an antigen.

Anamnestic response

A 'booster response' that occurs when an animal is exposed to a second vaccine after a first.

Titer

A way to measure the level of antibodies in the blood.

Active immunity

Immunity gained from a vaccine or natural exposure to a disease.

Passive immunity

Immunity gained from another individual (e.g., colostrum, serum, immunoglobulins).

Killed (inactivated) vaccine

A vaccine containing an inactive or killed organism that is unable to cause disease but will cause an immune response; often contains an adjuvant to increase the response.

Modified live (attenuated) vaccine

A vaccine containing organisms that are modified to make them non-virulent but able to multiply in the patient, causing a strong immune response.

Recombinant (subunit) vaccine

A vaccine containing only proteins (DNA or RNA) from the organism; will not cause disease but will stimulate an immune response.

DHLPP/DA2PP

Canine core vaccine including Distemper, Adenovirus-2, Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza; may also contain Leptospirosis.

FVRCP

Feline core vaccine including Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia.

FeLV

Feline Leukemia Virus vaccine, a core vaccine for cats, especially at-risk ones.