BIOL4440 · Biology

Vaccination and Immunity

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

No one could have imagined the devastating effects of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The impact and scale were unprecedented, especially that the richest and most advanced countries of the globe were the most affected. With a record-breaking speed of less than a year, 3 of COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Oxford/AstraZeneca) and later Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, received approval in Europe and the US. Millions of lives were saved but vaccine hesitancy is still prevalent worldwide.It is imperative that lessons be learned from COVID-19 and other major pandemics such as Zika, Influenza, Ebola and HIV.1- review basic concepts of human-pathogen interactions; 2- learn the basic principles of immunity and vaccination; 3- and discuss a few major infectious diseases through case studies