Immunization Pharmacology & Vaccine Science Flashcards

Which immune cells are the primary producers of antibodies following vaccination?

Answer: Plasma B cells

Plasma B cells are differentiated B lymphocytes that are the primary source of circulating antibodies after antigen stimulation from vaccination.

What is seroconversion in the context of immunization?

Answer: Development of detectable antibodies following vaccination or infection

Seroconversion refers to the point at which a person develops a detectable level of antibodies in response to vaccination or natural infection.

Why are live attenuated vaccines generally contraindicated in severely immunocompromised patients?

Answer: The attenuated pathogen can replicate and cause disease in the absence of normal immune defenses

In severely immunocompromised patients, live attenuated organisms can replicate unchecked and cause vaccine-strain disease due to absent or deficient immune defenses.

Which vaccine component is responsible for a local injection site reaction such as redness and swelling?

Answer: Adjuvants like aluminum salts that stimulate local innate immune activation

Aluminum-based adjuvants trigger local innate immune activation, resulting in the classic injection site reactions of erythema, swelling, and tenderness.

What is the significance of herd immunity threshold in community vaccination programs?

Answer: It is the vaccination coverage level at which pathogen spread is interrupted, protecting unvaccinated individuals

The herd immunity threshold is the proportion of a population that must be immune to stop disease transmission and protect those who cannot be vaccinated.

Which type of vaccine is most appropriate for a patient who is 8 weeks pregnant and needs protection against influenza?

Answer: Inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV)

Inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) is safe and recommended throughout pregnancy; LAIV is contraindicated due to its live attenuated viral components.