Whole Cell Vaccines

Whole cells or viruses are very effective

immunogens, since they are so large and Killed Cell or Inactivated Virus
complex. Depending on the vaccine, these are
either killed or attenuated.
Heat or Vaccine
Administer stimulates
Killed vaccines (viruses are termed “inactivated” chemicals immunity
instead of “killed”) are prepared by cultivating Ags
Dead, but but pathogen
the desired strain or strains of a bacterium or antigenicity cannot multiply.
is retained
virus and treating them with chemicals, radiation, Whole microbes
heat, or some other agent that does not destroy stimulate immunity
Live, Attenuated Cells or Viruses but cause no
antigenicity. The hepatitis A vaccine and three disease.
forms of the influenza vaccine contain inactivated
viruses. Because the microbe does not multiply,
Virulence Administer
killed vaccines often require a larger dose and
is eliminated
more boosters to be effective.
or reduced.
Ags
Live attenuated vaccines contain live microbes Alive, with Vaccine microbes
whose virulence has been attenuated, or lessened/ same antigenicity can multiply and
eliminated. This is usually achieved by modifying boost immune
stimulation.
the growth conditions or manipulating microbial
genes in a way that eliminates virulence factors.
The advantages of live preparations are as follows:
Vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella contain
1. Viable microorganisms can multiply and produce infection (but not disease) like the natural
live, nonvirulent viruses.
organism.
2. They confer long-lasting protection.
3. They usually require fewer doses and boosters than other types of vaccines.
4. They are particularly effective at inducing cell-mediated immunity.
Disadvantages of using live microbes in vaccines are that they require special storage facilities, can
be transmitted to other people, and can mutate back to become virulent again.

Subunit Vaccines (Parts of Organisms)

If the exact epitopes that stimulate immunity are
known, it is possible to produce a vaccine based Viruses Bacteria
on a selected component of a microorganism.
These vaccines for bacteria are called
subunit vaccines. The antigens used
in these vaccines may be taken from cultures of
the microbes, produced by genetic engineering or
synthesized chemically.

Examples of component antigens currently in Antigens

use are the capsules of the pneumococcus and stimulate
meningococcus, the protein surface antigen of Genetically Engineered Antigens Toxoids immunity
anthrax, and the surface proteins of hepatitis B but no
pathogen
virus. A special type of vaccine is the toxoid,
is present.
which consists of a purified bacterial exotoxin
that has been chemically denatured. By eliciting Protein Toxin Toxoid
the production of antitoxins that can neutralize Plasmid
the natural toxin, toxoid vaccines provide containing foreign
protection against diseases such as diphtheria, microbe antigen
tetanus, and pertussis.