Question

Answer the following questions.

a. Which vaccines are given to infants? Why?

b. How is a vaccine produced?

c. How do antibiotics cure disease?

d. Are the antibiotics given to humans and animals the same? Why?

e. Why is it necessary to safely store the pathogens of a disease against which vaccines are to be produced?

Answer 1

a. There are various kinds of vaccines which are given to infants between 0-12 months. Vaccines are given to young children because their immune systems are not yet fully mature and also because their stomachs produce less acid, making it easier for ingested bacteria and viruses to multiply. These factors make them vulnerable to these serious diseases. Some of the vaccines given to infants are:
Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination, Hepatitis B, Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), Rota V etc.

b. Vaccines are the dead or weakened microorganisms, which help the body fight against diseases. Our body reacts to infection by microorganisms by producing certain substances called antibodies. These antibodies kill the invading microorganisms freeing the body from diseases. So, in order to protect the body from diseases caused by microorganisms, some dead or weakened microbes are introduced into the body, which causes the production of antibodies. These antibodies then remain in the body for a long period of time protecting the body from diseases.

c. Microorganisms have certain biochemical pathways which are needed for their survival; for example, respiration and enzyme synthesis. Antibiotics bind with the precursors needed for these pathways, and block them. In the absence of essential life processes, the microorganisms are killed. For example, penicillin kills a bacterium by blocking the cell wall formation in bacteria. Once the disease causing organism is dead, there is no more spread of the disease and the patient starts recovering.

d. Usually, the diseases which affect animals and humans are different which means their causal organism will also be different. Since, the pathogen of the disease are different, so different antibiotics will be required. However, if the pathogenic organism of a diseases is same for both humans and animals then, antibiotics which are given to humans can be administered to animals as well.

e. Vaccines are dead/weakened microorganisms which provide immunity against diseases by inducing immune response of the body. Since, these microorganisms are dead/weakened, they lose their disease causing abilities and thus pose no harm. However, if these microorganisms are not stored properly and if they are in their infective stage, they can result in widespread of the disease.