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Vaccine protection against gonorrhoea
Gonorrhoea is a bacterial disease.
A new vaccine is being developed against gonorrhoea.
Describe how a vaccine would work to prevent gonorrhoea.
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Marking points
- 1 State that a dead/inactive/weakened pathogen or its antigens are introduced.
- 2 State that white blood cells are stimulated to produce antibodies.
- 3 State that memory cells are made or remain.
- 4 Explain that on re-exposure specific antibodies are produced quickly/in large quantities, killing the pathogen before it causes disease.
Full-mark answer
The vaccine introduces a harmless form of the gonorrhoea pathogen or its antigens. White blood cells produce specific antibodies and memory cells remain. If the person is exposed again, memory cells trigger rapid production of specific antibodies, killing the bacteria before they can build up enough to cause disease.