Vaccination Flashcards
All 4 cards in this deck
What does a vaccine contain?
An inactive (dead) or weakened form of the pathogen, which still carries its antigens.
How does immunisation make a person immune?
e.g. the tetanus vaccine- Antigens in the vaccine trigger an immune response.
- Lymphocytes produce antibodies and memory lymphocytes.
- If the live pathogen later enters, a secondary response destroys it quickly, so the person does not get tetanus.
True or false? A vaccine containing an inactive form of a pathogen can give you the disease.
False. The pathogen is inactive or weakened so cannot cause illness, but its antigens still trigger an immune response.
Why is a booster dose of a vaccine given some time after the first dose?
It causes a secondary response, producing more antibodies and more memory lymphocytes, so immunity lasts longer.