Talk:Booster dose

Here is what I'm thinking for the introductory section--it would be great to get some feedback!

In medicine, a booster dose is an extra administration of a vaccine after an earlier (prime) dose. After initial immunization, a booster injection or booster dose is a re-exposure to the immunizing antigen cell. It is intended to increase immunity against that antigen back to protective levels after it has been shown to have decreased after a specified period. For example, tetanus shot boosters are often recommended every 10 years.[1] The need for a booster dose is evaluated in several ways, including the immune response after a booster dose is administered, active B and T cell activity after a certain amount of time that the primary vaccine was given, and prevalence of the disease in vaccinated populations.[2] Anamnestic response, the rapid production of antibodies after a stimulus of an antigen, is a typical way to measure the need for a booster dose of a certain vaccine. If anamneestic response is high after receiving a primary vaccine many years ago, there is most likely little to no need for a booster dose.[3]

If a patient receives a booster dose but already has a high level of antibody, then a reaction called an Arthus reaction could develop, a localized form of Type III hypersensitivity induced by high levels of IgG antibodies causing inflammation.[4] The inflammation is often self-resolved over the course of of a few days, but could be avoided altogether by increasing the length of time between the primary vaccine and the booster dose.[5]

It is not yet fully clear why some vaccines such as Hepatitis A and B are effective for life, and some such as tetanus need boosters. In most cases, the booster serves as a 'reminder' to the immune system. [6] This is especially pertinent if the immune system responds to a primary vaccine rapidly, so that the body does not have time to sufficiently develop immunological memory against the disease. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Immcarle11 (talk • contribs) 23:35, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

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