Immunization Pharmacology & Vaccine Science Flashcards

Which type of immunity is produced after vaccination with a live attenuated vaccine?

Answer: Active immunity

Live attenuated vaccines stimulate active immunity by triggering the immune system to produce its own antibodies and memory cells.

What is the primary mechanism by which adjuvants in vaccines enhance immune response?

Answer: They stimulate innate immune responses and promote antigen-presenting cell activation

Adjuvants enhance vaccine immunogenicity by stimulating innate immunity and activating antigen-presenting cells, leading to a stronger adaptive response.

Which of the following vaccines contains a polysaccharide conjugated to a carrier protein?

Answer: Prevnar 20 (PCV20)

Prevnar 20 (PCV20) is a conjugate vaccine where polysaccharides are chemically linked to a carrier protein to enhance T-cell–dependent immune responses.

What is the key difference between mRNA vaccines and traditional inactivated vaccines?

Answer: mRNA vaccines instruct cells to produce a viral protein, while inactivated vaccines contain killed pathogen

mRNA vaccines deliver genetic instructions for cells to produce a target protein (e.g., spike protein), while inactivated vaccines use killed whole pathogens to stimulate immunity.

A patient asks why they need a booster dose for their tetanus vaccine. What is the best pharmacological explanation?

Answer: Antibody titers wane over time and a booster restores protective immunity

Antibody levels decline over years after initial immunization, so booster doses are required to re-stimulate memory B cells and restore protective antibody titers.

Which component of the influenza vaccine is responsible for the annual reformulation?

Answer: Hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) antigens

The influenza vaccine is reformulated annually to match predicted circulating strains based on changes in the HA and NA surface antigens of the virus.