What is the difference between meningococcal conjugate and polysaccharide?

What is the difference between meningococcal conjugate and polysaccharide?

Conjugate vaccines are generally believed to have greater immunogenicity and are capable of providing persistence and an anamnestic response. In contrast to polysaccharide vaccines, meningococcal conjugate vaccines are capable of reducing nasopharyngeal carriage of N.

Why are conjugated vaccines better?

In this case, a conjugate vaccine is used in order to invoke an immune system response against the weak antigen. In a conjugate vaccine, the weak antigen is covalently attached to a strong antigen, thereby eliciting a stronger immunological response to the weak antigen.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of conjugate vaccines?

The major advantage of these vaccines is the relative simplicity of production of the different preparations. The main disadvantage is the lack of a protective immune response in young children, where the need is very great.

What is the difference between a pure polysaccharide vaccine and a polysaccharide protein conjugate vaccine?

Pure polysaccharide vaccines are T-cell-independent activators of B-cells and their use usually results in an antibody only response (i.e., IgM). Polysaccharide–protein conjugate vaccines typically generate both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses.

What is the difference between the two pneumonia vaccines?

Prevnar 13 protects against 13 types of bacteria, and Pneumovax 23 protects against 23 types of bacteria. Prevnar 13 is given in the muscle (IM), while Pneumovax 23 can be given either in the muscle (IM) or under the skin (subcutaneously). Most adults over 65 will receive one dose of each vaccine, one year apart.

Which vaccines are polysaccharide vaccines?

Polysaccharide vaccines (meningococcal, pneumococcal, and typhoid) are poorly immunogenic and therefore less effective in children <2 years old.

What is a disadvantage of conjugate vaccine?

What is the major advantage of conjugate meningococcal vaccines over polysaccharide vaccines?

Meningococcal conjugate vaccines have several advantages over polysaccharide vaccines, including the ability to induce greater antibody persistence, avidity, immunologic memory, and herd immunity.

What are polysaccharide vaccines?

A polysaccharide vaccine contains 25 µg of each of the 23 capsular polysaccharides that account for 90% of invasive infections (Chapter 17). Polysaccharide vaccines stimulate B-cell responses, thereby resulting in type-specific antibody production that enhances ingestion and killing of the pathogens by phagocytes.

What vaccine is a conjugate vaccine?

Conjugate vaccines are currently used to immunise against virulent diseases like Haemophilus influenzae B (Hib) and pneumococcus. These are good examples as injections immunising against these diseases are an important part of the UK’s childhood immunisation programme.

How do polysaccharide vaccines work?

Conjugating a polysaccharide antigen to a protein molecule produces long-lasting protective immunity to the polysaccharide antigen. The immune response to a pure polysaccharide vaccine is typically T-cell-independent, which means these vaccines can stimulate B-cells without the assistance of T-helper cells.

Why is Prevnar better than Pneumovax?

Not quite. They both protect against pneumococcal bacteria. Prevnar 13 protects against 13 types of bacteria, and Pneumovax 23 protects against 23 types of bacteria. Prevnar 13 is given in the muscle (IM), while Pneumovax 23 can be given either in the muscle (IM) or under the skin (subcutaneously).

Why are polysaccharide vaccines not effective in children?

Polysaccharide vaccines However, due to lack of a T-helper response, the vaccines are poorly immunogenic below 2 years of age, fail to induce immunologic memory and provide protection for only 3–5 years.

What are disadvantages of conjugate vaccines?

  • August 4, 2022