Chapter 34: Vaccines, Immunity & Preventive Drugs

The text outlines the fundamental principles of immunity, distinguishing between active immunity, where the body mounts an immune response to an antigen, and passive immunity, which involves the transfer of pre-formed antibodies. It also explains the concept of community or herd immunity, which protects unvaccinated individuals when a significant portion of the population is immune. A major focus is placed on the pharmacology of various vaccine types, including live attenuated viruses, inactivated toxins known as toxoids, conjugate vaccines, recombinant subunit vaccines, and the newer messenger RNA (mRNA) technology used in COVID-19 immunizations to target spike proteins. The chapter comprehensively covers the indications, dosing schedules, and administration routes for a wide array of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as influenza, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), varicella (chickenpox), herpes zoster (shingles), hepatitis A and B, human papillomavirus (HPV), and pneumococcal disease. Special attention is given to recent developments, including vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for older adults and pregnant individuals to protect newborns. Furthermore, the text addresses specialized vaccines for travel and bioterrorism defense, such as those for yellow fever, typhoid, anthrax, and smallpox. The nursing process serves as a framework for safe administration, highlighting the importance of screening for contraindications like pregnancy or anaphylaxis, managing proper cold chain storage, adhering to federal documentation requirements with Vaccine Information Statements (VIS), and reporting adverse reactions through the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS).