Vaccinations
Microorganism that causes disease. are microbes that cause Illness affecting plants and animals..
Substances containing disabled antigens of a particular disease, usually administered via injection. Vaccines stimulate the body to produce antibodies to provide immunity against that disease. allow a small quantity of dead or a weakened form of the disease-causing pathogen to be introduced into the body. This causes the immune system, to produce A protein produced by the immune system in humans (and other animals) that attacks foreign organisms (antigens) that get into the body. that are specific to the pathogen. Antibodies, which target and attach to the pathogen, destroy the pathogen.
The A type of cell found in blood that defends against infection. then stop producing the antibodies specific to the pathogen and die. However, white blood cells called White blood cells (lymphocytes) that remain in the body after the immune response to an infection has finished. They reproduce rapidly if the body is re-infected, producing a faster and greater immune response. remain, and these can be produced very quickly if the immunised patient is exposed to the live pathogen.
During the The first time an organism becomes infected by a particular pathogen. the antibodies slowly increase, peak at around ten days and then gradually decrease. A second exposure to the same pathogen causes the white blood cells to respond quickly in order to produce lots of the relevant antibodies, which prevents infection.
Herd immunity
Following a vaccination, a person can become immune to the specific disease. This When a person's body is not prone to a disease because they have a resistance to it. gives protection against illness in an individual. The majority of the population must be vaccinated against serious diseases, which can reduce the chance of people coming into contact with specific pathogens, leading to The protection given to a population against an outbreak of a specific disease when a very high percentage of the population have been vaccinated against it..
If the number of people vaccinated against a specific disease drops in a population, it leaves the rest of the population at risk of mass infection, as they are more likely to come across people who are infected and contagious. This increases the number of infections, as well as the number of people who could die from a specific infectious disease.
Question
Describe the pattern of measles cases between 1950 and 1968, when the measles vaccine was introduced.
In 1950 approximately 380,000 cases of measles were detected. This shows that measles were regularly detected at approximately 600,000 cases per year in 1952, with some reductions to approximately 150,000 cases in 1954. Clear fluctuations are detected until approximately 1964.
The measles vaccine was introduced in 1968 which caused a sharp decline to approximately 150,000 cases in 1969.
Question
Describe what happens to the number of measles cases after the introduction of the measles vaccines in 1968.
The introduction of the measles vaccine caused a sharp decline to approximately 150,000 cases in 1969.
A gradual decline was observed and in 1982 approximately 50,000 cases were recorded.
Question
Describe, using data, the effect of the introduction of the MMR vaccine on the number of measles cases recorded.
A new MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine was introduced in 1988, which caused a further sharp decline in recorded cases from approximately 50 cases per thousand.
In 1994 the Measles/Rubella campaign was introduced, and then a second dose of MMR vaccination was introduced in 1996, which resulted in cases falling to almost 0 cases in 2004.
Learn more about vaccination, painkillers and antibiotics with Dr Alex Lathbridge.
Listen to the full series on BBC Sounds.
Dr Alex Lathbridge breaks down the key facts about vaccination, painkillers and antibiotics. Listen to the full series on BBC Sounds.
