Component 3A - Effectiveness Of Vaccination And Ethical Concerns Flashcards
What pathogens are more likely to be protected by a single round of immunisations?
Pathogens that exhibit no or low levels of antigenic variation/ mutation (e.g. Rubella)
What pathogens are harder to protect against and how may this difficulty be overcome?
An organism that has many antigenic types and mutates frequently (e.g. Influenza).
Protection against these organisms requires repeated immunisation against the most common antigens and even then is not 100% effective.
For a vaccination to protect successfully against disease what else must be true?
The antigens used in a vaccine must be highly immunogenic and stimulate a protective immune response that is specific to the pathogen or antigen.
Why are different types of programme of vaccine used?
To increase the chance of a person developing protective, long-lasting immunity.
How is cost considered when designing a vaccine?
They must investigate whether the benefit provided outweighs cost
Cost effectiveness
Why is it a consideration for the government to make vaccinations compulsory for certain diseases?
Immunisation has been shown to be the only way to protect people against some diseases
What is the main argument for making vaccinations compulsory in some countries?
It is stressed that parents who choose against vaccination not only withdrawn protection from their own children but also from all those with whom their children have contact
Protection of community
Due to human rights what must be considered when designing a vaccination programme?
The rights of the individual when considering mandatory compared with voluntary programmes.
For example some people may not want to be vaccinated due to religion, alternative medicines
What other reason has been common for some parents not vaccinating children in the past, for example with the MMR vaccine?
Side effects, whether real or perceived
Serious side effects are extremely rare due to rigorous testing
