ASBiologyCambridge (CIE)Revision Notes11. ImmunityAntibodies & VaccinationVaccination to Control Disease

Vaccination to Control Disease (Cambridge (CIE) AS Biology): Revision Note

Exam code: 9700

Cara Head

Written by: Cara Head

Reviewed by: Alistair Marjot

Updated on

Vaccination to control disease

  • There are many safe and effective vaccines that exist against many pathogens

  • These vaccines have managed to push a number of childhood diseases to the verge of extinction

    • Vaccines against such diseases as mumps, chicken pox and whooping cough are administered to children as part of an immunisation schedule and they successfully result in immunity

  • As a result, many childhood diseases are kept at low levels within populations due to herd immunity

    • Herd immunity arises when a sufficiently large proportion of the population has been vaccinated (and are therefore immune)

    • This makes it difficult for a pathogen to spread within that population, as those not immunised are protected and unlikely to contract it as the levels of the disease are so low

Three scenarios show vaccination impact: no vaccination with widespread disease, partial vaccination with limited spread, and most vaccinated with contained spread.
The process of herd immunity to protect populations from communicable disease through vaccination

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    Author
    Reviewer
    Cara Head

    Author: Cara Head

    Expertise: Biology & Psychology Content Creator

    Cara graduated from the University of Exeter in 2005 with a degree in Biological Sciences. She has fifteen years of experience teaching the Sciences at KS3 to KS5, and Psychology at A-Level. Cara has taught in a range of secondary schools across the South West of England before joining the team at SME. Cara is passionate about Biology and creating resources that bring the subject alive and deepen students' understanding

    Alistair Marjot

    Reviewer: Alistair Marjot

    Expertise: Environmental Systems and Societies & Biology Content Creator

    Alistair graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Biological Sciences. He has taught GCSE/IGCSE Biology, as well as Biology and Environmental Systems & Societies for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. While teaching in Oxford, Alistair completed his MA Education as Head of Department for Environmental Systems & Societies. Alistair has continued to pursue his interests in ecology and environmental science, recently gaining an MSc in Wildlife Biology & Conservation with Edinburgh Napier University.