Vaccine Types and Characteristics

Flashcards covering different types of vaccines and their characteristics, including whole cell, acellular, live attenuated, killed/inactivated, subunit, toxoid, polysaccharide, conjugated, and nucleic acid vaccines, as well as adjuvants.

Cellular (Whole) Vaccine

A type of vaccine that uses the entire pathogen (either live attenuated or killed/inactivated).

Acellular Vaccine

A type of vaccine that uses only a part of the pathogen, such as specific antigens or toxins.

Live Attenuated Vaccine

A whole vaccine using a live but weakened form of the pathogen to create a strong immune response.

Killed/Inactivated Vaccine

A whole vaccine made by treating the pathogen with chemicals, heat, or radiation, rendering it inactive.

Subunit Vaccine

An acellular vaccine that administers only the antigen, rather than the entire pathogen, to stimulate an immune response.

Toxoid Vaccine

A vaccine for bacterial diseases where the toxin produced by the bacteria is more dangerous than the bacteria itself; the vaccine neutralizes the toxin.

Polysaccharide Vaccine

A vaccine made up of sugar molecules from the pathogen's capsule and used against capsulated bacteria.

Conjugated Vaccine

A newer version of polysaccharide vaccine where the carbohydrate is linked to an antigen to improve immune response.

Nucleic Acid Vaccine

A vaccine that uses genetic material to trigger an immune response.

Adjuvants

Substances that stimulate pathogen recognition receptors to give a more robust adaptive immune response.

Ex. of Live attenuated vaccine

MMR or smallpox

Ex. of Killed/inactivated vaccine

Flu and Polio

ex. of subunit vaccine

HPV

ex. of toxoid vaccine

DTap/Tdap

ex. Polysaccharide vaccine

menigoccal vaccine