The name applied generally to dead– or attenuated (that is, ‘weakened’) living – infectious material introduced into the body, with the object of increasing its power to resist disease. (See also IMMUNITY.)
Healthy people are inoculated with vaccine as a protection against a particular disease; this provokes their immune system to produce ANTIBODIES, which will confer immunity against a subsequent attack of the disease. (See IMMUNISATION for NHS programme of immunisation during childhood.) Vaccines which are not part of that programme include:
which was introduced in 1882 for the protection of sheep and cattle against this disease. A safe and effective vaccine for use in human beings is available if needed. (See ANTHRAX.)
is used to provide protection against TUBERCULOSIS. (See also separate entry on BCG VACCINE.)
was introduced in India in about 1894. It does not offer a high degree of protection so is not available in the UK. (See CHOLERA.)
see IMMUNISATION.
is a vaccine prepared from the pollen of various grasses. It is used in gradually increasing doses for prevention of HAY FEVER in those susceptible to this condition.
This has to be prepared anew each year as the strains of INFLUENZA virus causing EPIDEMIC illness in winter differ from year to year. In Britain it is customarily provided by a GENERAL PRACTITIONER (GP) for patients at greater risk because of age or pre-existing respiratory or other chronic illness.
was introduced by Pasteur in 1885 for administration, during the long incubation period, to people bitten by a rabid dog. (See RABIES.)
may protect for about 2–20 months. Two injections are given at an interval of four weeks. A reinforcing dose should be given annually to anyone exposed to PLAGUE.
As a result of the World Health Organisation's successful smallpox eradication campaign – it declared the disease eradicated in 1980 – there is now no medical justification for smallpox vaccination. However, a stock is held for laboratory workers at risk because of working with the virus.
This is recommended for those walking or camping in warm forested areas of Central and Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, particularly between April and October.
This vaccine is active against S. typhi. Two doses are given at an interval of 4–6 weeks, and give protection for 1–3 years (see ENTERIC FEVER).
This vaccine, used to protect against varicella (CHICKENPOX) is used in a number of countries including the United States and Japan. It has not been introduced into the UK standard vaccination programme for children, largely because of concerns that use in infancy would result in an upsurge in cases in adult life, when the disease may be more severe. It is recommended, however, for health workers in close contact with a patient with varicella and is also licensed for use in children over aged 1 who are contacts.
is prepared from chick embryos injected with a living, attenuated strain of virus. Only one injection is required, and immunity persists for many years. Re-inoculation, however, is desirable every ten years. (See YELLOW FEVER.)