Pharmacy Immunizations and Vaccines 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of vaccine contains a weakened but live pathogen?
- Inactivated vaccine
- Subunit vaccine
- Live attenuated vaccine (Correct answer)
- Toxoid vaccine
Correct answer: Live attenuated vaccine
Live attenuated vaccines (e.g., MMR, varicella, LAIV) use a weakened form of the pathogen that replicates in the host, generally producing strong, long-lasting immunity.
Question 2: The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends annual influenza vaccination for:
- Only adults over 65
- Children under 5 only
- Everyone 6 months of age and older (Correct answer)
- Healthcare workers only
Correct answer: Everyone 6 months of age and older
ACIP recommends annual influenza vaccination for all persons ≥6 months of age, particularly those at high risk for complications (elderly, immunocompromised, pregnant women, young children).
Question 3: Which vaccine is contraindicated in severely immunocompromised patients due to risk of disease from the vaccine strain?
- Inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV)
- Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23)
- Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine (Correct answer)
- Hepatitis B vaccine
Correct answer: Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
Live vaccines like varicella are contraindicated in severely immunocompromised patients because the attenuated virus can cause disease in those unable to mount an immune response.
Question 4: The shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine Shingrix is recommended for adults aged:
- 40 years and older
- 50 years and older (Correct answer)
- 65 years and older
- Only those with a prior history of chickenpox
Correct answer: 50 years and older
ACIP recommends Shingrix (recombinant zoster vaccine, RZV) for all immunocompetent adults 50 years and older, given as 2 doses 2–6 months apart, regardless of prior shingles history.
Question 5: What should be done if a patient reports a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to a previous dose of a vaccine?
- Administer the next dose with a longer observation period
- Refer to an allergist/immunologist — future doses of that vaccine are generally contraindicated (Correct answer)
- Administer half the dose to reduce risk
- Pre-medicate with diphenhydramine and proceed normally
Correct answer: Refer to an allergist/immunologist — future doses of that vaccine are generally contraindicated
Prior anaphylaxis to a vaccine or its components is a contraindication to further doses. The patient should be referred to an allergist to evaluate the specific allergen and assess risk.
Question 6: Vaccines that require storage between 2°C and 8°C (35°F–46°F) are said to require:
- Frozen storage
- Refrigerator storage (cold chain) (Correct answer)
- Room temperature storage
- Dry storage only
Correct answer: Refrigerator storage (cold chain)
Most vaccines require refrigerator storage (2–8°C) as part of the cold chain. Freezing these vaccines can damage them. Varicella and zoster vaccines require frozen storage (−15°C or colder).
Pharmacy Immunizations and Vaccines 1
Which type of vaccine contains a weakened but live pathogen?