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vaccine |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.04 sec. |
vaccinePreparation containing either killed or weakened live microorganisms or their toxins, introduced by mouth, by injection, or by nasal spray to stimulate production of antibodies against an infectious agent. This confers immunity to that agent, since the B lymphocytes remain sensitized to it and respond to later infection by producing more antibodies. The first vaccine, against smallpox, was introduced by Edward Jenner in 1798. Vaccines have been developed against diseases caused by bacteria (e.g., typhoid, whooping cough, tuberculosis) and by viruses (e.g., measles, influenza, rabies, poliomyelitis). Effectiveness varies, and a small percentage of people have adverse reactions. Those with immunodeficiency disorders should not receive live vaccines. vaccine Med 1. a suspension of dead, attenuated, or otherwise modified microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, or rickettsiae) for inoculation to produce immunity to a disease by stimulating the production of antibodies 2. (originally) a preparation of the virus of cowpox taken from infected cows and inoculated in humans to produce immunity to smallpox 3. of or relating to vaccination or vaccinia 4. Computing a piece of software designed to detect and remove computer viruses from a system How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Fifty years ago, on April 12, 1955, Dr Thomas Francis, an epidemiologist on faculty at the University of Michigan, announced to the world that he had just completed a study demonstrating that the Salk vaccine was "safe, effective, and potent" in preventing paralytic poliomyelitis. In a scenario reminiscent of the 2000 presidential election, The Immune Response Corporation (IRC) tried unsuccessfully to block the publication of the results of Study 806, a study aimed at assessing whether Remune (also known as the Salk vaccine or HIV-1 immunogen) in combination with antiviral drugs could keep persons healthy for a longer period of time than antivirals alone. Between 1959 and 1965, research on pregnant women showed the incidence of brain tumors in children of Salk-vaccinated mothers to be 13 times greater than in children of mothers who hadn't received the Salk vaccine. |
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