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Ch. 14 - Biomedical Applications: Vaccines, Diagnostics, Therapeutics, and Molecular Method
Norman-McKay- Microbiology: Basic and Clinical Principles 2nd Edition
Norman-McKay2nd EditionMicrobiology: Basic and Clinical PrinciplesISBN: 9780137661619Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksNorman-McKay 2nd EditionCh. 14 - Biomedical Applications: Vaccines, Diagnostics, Therapeutics, and Molecular MethodProblem 3
Chapter 14, Problem 3

If parents in the United States decline or delay vaccinations for their children because they fear the refuted claim of a link between vaccinations and autism, which of the following is a possible result?
a. A decrease in diagnosis of autism with a decrease of vaccinations
b. An increase in diagnosis of autism with an increase of vaccinations
c. An increase in the administration of subunit vaccines
d. A decrease in herd immunity
e. An increase in public demand for inactivated vaccines

Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the context of the problem, which involves parents declining or delaying vaccinations due to fear of a disproven link between vaccines and autism.
Step 2: Recall that vaccines protect the population by creating herd immunity, which occurs when a high percentage of individuals are immunized, reducing the spread of contagious diseases.
Step 3: Recognize that if vaccination rates decline, herd immunity weakens because fewer individuals are protected, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
Step 4: Evaluate each answer choice in relation to the effect of declining vaccination rates: a decrease in autism diagnosis is unrelated to vaccination rates; an increase in autism diagnosis with more vaccinations is based on a refuted claim; increased use of subunit or inactivated vaccines is not a direct consequence of declining vaccination rates; a decrease in herd immunity logically follows from fewer vaccinations.
Step 5: Conclude that the most scientifically supported result of declining vaccination rates is a decrease in herd immunity, which can lead to increased vulnerability to infectious diseases.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Vaccination and Herd Immunity

Vaccination protects individuals and communities by stimulating immunity against infectious diseases. Herd immunity occurs when a high percentage of the population is vaccinated, reducing disease spread and protecting those who cannot be vaccinated. Declining vaccination rates weaken herd immunity, increasing the risk of outbreaks.
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Misconceptions Linking Vaccines and Autism

The claim that vaccines cause autism has been thoroughly debunked by scientific research. Despite this, fear of this false link can lead to vaccine hesitancy or refusal, which does not affect autism rates but can reduce vaccination coverage and public health safety.
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Public Health Consequences of Vaccine Hesitancy

When parents delay or refuse vaccines, it can lead to decreased vaccination rates, lowering herd immunity and increasing the likelihood of disease outbreaks. This threatens community health and can reverse progress made in controlling vaccine-preventable diseases.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

What was the purpose of the practice of variolation?

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Textbook Question

Which of the following vaccines is most likely to be contraindicated for an immune compromised patient?

a. An mRNA vaccine

b. A whole inactivated vaccine

c. A toxoid vaccine

d. A conjugate vaccine

e. A live attenuated vaccine

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Textbook Question

How does an antibody neutralize a virus?

a. By preventing the virus from binding to a receptor protein on a host cell

b. By preventing the virus from injecting its nucleic acid into its host cell

c. By degrading the capsid

d. By inserting holes into the viral envelope

e. By preventing the virus from replicating while inside the host

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Textbook Question

The human papillomavirus vaccine consists of surface proteins engineered from various HPV strains. How would you classify this vaccine?

a. Whole inactivated vaccine

b. Whole live attenuated vaccine

c. Recombinant subunit vaccine

d. mRNA vaccine

e. Vector vaccine

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Textbook Question

A direct ELISA test is utilized as a pregnancy test because it tests for:

a. Antibodies to the fetus in urine

b. Antibodies to a pregnancy hormone in urine

c. An antigen that recognizes a pregnancy hormone in urine

d. T cells that recognize a pregnancy hormone in urine

e. The presence of a pregnancy hormone in urine

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