The use of vaccines to provide protection for individuals and populations against disease. • evaluate methodology, evidence and data relating to the use of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies • discuss ethical issues associated with the use of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies • explain the role of the scientific community in validating new knowledge about vaccines and monoclonal antibodies, thus ensuring integrity • discuss the ways in which society uses scientific knowledge relating to vaccines and monoclonal antibodies to inform decision-making.

Vaccines involve injecting a weak or inactive form of a pathogen into the body.

The antigens stimulate an immune response from white blood cells.

The cells destroy the pathogen, but more importantly, they also produce memory cells.

This means that if the real pathogen enters the body, memory cells will produce large amounts of plasma cells very quickly to combat the pathogen- so it is destroyed before it can harm the body.

This is often carried out throughout whole populations so that everyone is protected against a pathogen and it can be eradicated.

Using a weak or inactive form of the pathogen means that there is no risk of the pathogen from the vaccine harming the body.

The MMR vaccine
A vaccine that protects against Measles, Mumps and Rubella is given to all children in the UK to prevent them getting these potentially disabling diseases. Andrew Wakefield published a study on the vaccine in 1998 which appeared to show that it increased the risk of children getting autism.

The claims are now believed to be completely unfounded in light of: new research showing no link; the small sample size he used; his vested interest to prove the link for the Legal Aid Board. However, at the time there was a big following of this idea and many people decided not to vaccinate their children. As a result the cases of all three diseases rose.

Ethical issues

• Testing on animals
• Potentially harmful testing on humans
• Possible side effects
• The fact that it might breach peoples rights to make vaccines compulsory