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Step 1
Use the growth medium to grow new copies of the Clostridium tetani
bacteria.
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With a toxoid vaccine, the goal is to condition the immune system to combat not
an invading virus or bacteria but rather a toxin produced by that invading
virus or bacteria. The tetanus shot is such a vaccine. Tetanus is a disease
caused by toxins created by the bacteria Clostridium tetani. The vaccine
conditions the body's immune system to eliminate these toxins.
To produce the vaccine, you first need to grow many copies of the
Clostridium tetani bacteria.
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Step 2
Isolate the toxins with the purifier.
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While in the growth medium, the bacterial cells produce the toxin, which are
toxic molecules that are often released by the cells.
To produce the vaccine, you'll need to separate these molecules from the
bacteria and the growth medium.
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Step 3
Add aluminum salts to the purified toxins.
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In this state, the toxin would be harmful to the human body. To make the
vaccine, it needs to be neutralized.
Sometimes formaldehyde is used to neutralize toxins. For your vaccine, you'll
use aluminum salts to decrease its harmful effects.
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Step 4
Fill the syringe with the treated toxins.
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The toxin would work as a vaccine now, but it wouldn't stimulate a strong
immune response. To increase the response, an "adjuvant" is added to the
vaccine.
For the tetanus vaccine, another vaccine acts as the adjuvant. This other
vaccine inoculates against pertussis. The vaccine for diphtheria—also a
toxoid vaccine—is also often added to the tetanus/pertussis combo, making
for the DPT vaccine.
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Done
The tetanus vaccine is complete.
Select another pathogen.
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Congratulations. You have produced a toxoid vaccine for tetanus.
As with other inactivated vaccines, there are disadvantages with toxoid
vaccines. Even with the adjuvant, these vaccines do not produce a full immune
response. Booster shots are needed to maintain the immunity.
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