A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
AAVC: Annual African Vaccinology Course
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS): A medical condition where the immune system cannot function properly in protecting the body from disease. As a result, the body cannot defend itself against common infections. AIDS is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
Adverse events: Undesirable experiences occurring after vaccination that may or may not be related to the vaccine.
AEFI: Adverse events following immunisation
Allergy: A condition in which the body has an exaggerated response to a substance such as food, drugs, or pollen; also known as hypersensitivity
Anaphylaxis: An immediate and severe allergic reaction to a substance, e.g. food, drugs or pollen. Symptoms include breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness and a drop in blood pressure. This condition can be fatal and requires immediate medical attention.
Antibodies: Immunological substances or protein found in the blood that is produced in response to foreign substances invading the body
Antigens: Foreign substances in the body that are capable of causing disease. Antigens provoke an immune response, such as the production of antibodies, cytokines, and chemokines.
Antiviral: Compounds capable of destroying or weakening a virus
Arthralgia: Joint pains
Arthritis: Inflammation of the joints, which results in pain and difficulty in movements
Association: The degree to which the occurrence of two events is linked
Asymptomatic infection: The presence of an infection without visible symptoms, also known as inapparent or subclinical infection
B
Booster shots: Additional doses of a vaccine needed periodically to enhance the immune system. For example, tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccine is recommended for adults every ten years.
C
CERQual: Confidence in the evidence from reviews of qualitative research
Clinical trial: Before a drug or medication is licensed it has to be tested for safety and efficacy (to see whether it produces the desired protection) on smaller groups of humans. This is called clinical testing or research.
Community immunity: See Herd immunity
Convulsion: See Seizure
E
EBV: Evidence-based vaccinology
EIDM: Evidence-informed decision-making
Endemic: The continual presence of a disease in a community
EPI: Expanded programme on immunisation
Epidemic: The occurrence of disease within a specific geographical area or population that is in excess of what is normally expected
EtR Process: Evidence to recommendation process
Exposure: Contact with infectious agents in a manner that may result in transmission and increases the likelihood of getting the disease
F
Febrile: Relating to fever; feverish
G
GNN: Global NITAG Network
GRADE: Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation
GVSI: Global Vaccine Safety Initiative
Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS): A rare neurological disease characterised by loss of reflexes and temporary paralysis
H
Herd immunity: A situation in which a sufficient proportion of a population is immune to an infectious disease (through vaccination and/or prior illness) to make its spread from person to person unlikely
Hives: An allergic condition that manifests by the eruption of red marks on the skin, usually accompanied by itching; also known as uticaria.
Hypersensitivity: A condition in which the body has an exaggerated response to a substance (e.g. food or drug), also known as allergy.
I
ID: Intradermal
IM: Intramuscular
Immune system: The complex system in the body responsible for fighting disease-causing organisms
Immunisation: The process by which a person or animal becomes protected against a disease. This term is often used interchangeably with vaccination or inoculation.
Immunity: Protection against a disease
Immunogenicity: Capacity of a vaccine to induce an immune response
Incidence: The number of new disease cases reported in a population over a certain period of time
Incubation period: The time from contact with infectious agents to onset of disease
Infectious agents: Organisms capable of spreading disease
IP: Immunisation programme
J
M
Memory cells: A group of cells that help the body defend itself against disease by remembering prior exposure to specific organisms. Memory cells are able to respond quickly when these organisms repeatedly threaten the body.
MLE: Monitoring, learning and evaluation
MoH: Ministry of Health
N
NIP: National immunisation programme
NITAG: National Immunization Technical Advisory Group. An advisory committee consisting of multidisciplinary groups of experts responsible for providing information to national governments that is used to make evidence-informed decisions regarding vaccines and immunisation policy.
O
Outbreak: Sudden appearance of a disease in a specific population or geographic area, e.g. neighbourhood or community
P
Pandemic: A disease that spreads across wide geographic areas. A pandemic is an epidemic that occurs throughout a wide region or even throughout the world.
Passive immunity: Protection against disease through antibodies produced by another human being or animal. Passive immunity is effective, but protection is generally limited and diminishes over time (usually a few weeks or months). For example, maternal measles antibodies are passed to the infant prior to birth. These antibodies temporarily protect the baby for the first 4–6 months of life.
PICO: Population, Intervention, Comparator and Intervention
Placebo: A substance or treatment that has no effect on human beings
Pneumonia: Inflammation of the lungs characterised by fever, chills, muscle stiffness, chest pain, cough, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate and difficulty breathing
Prevalence: The number of disease cases (new and existing) within a population over a given time period
Q
Quarantine: The isolation of a person or animal who has a disease (or is suspected of having a disease) in order to prevent the further spread of the disease
R
Risk: The likelihood that an individual will experience a certain event
RITAG: Regional Immunisation Technical Advisory Group
RRES: Rapid Response Evidence Services
RSH: Regional Scientific Hub
S
SAE: Serious adverse event
SAGE: Strategic Advisory Group of Experts
Serious adverse event (SAE): Is any untoward medical occurrence that at any dose, results in death, is life-threatening, requires inpatient hospitalisation, or prolongation of existing hospitalisation, results in persistence or significant disability/incapacity, or is a congenital anomaly/birth defect/medical and scientific judgement should be exercised in deciding whether expedited reporting is appropriate in other situations, such as important medical events that may not be immediately life-threatening or result in death or hospitalisation but may jeopardise the patient or may require intervention to prevent one of the other outcomes listed in the definition above. These should also usually be considered serious. (The term "life-threatening" in the definition of "serious" refers to an event which hypothetically might have caused death if it were more severe.)
Seroconversion: Development of antibodies in the blood of an individual who previously did not have detectable antibodies
Serology: Measurement of antibodies and other immunological properties in the blood serum
Serosurvey: Study measuring a population's risk of developing a particular disease
Seizure: The sudden onset of a jerking and staring spell usually caused by fever, also known as convulsions
Side effect: Undesirable reaction resulting from immunisation
Strain or mutant or variant: A specific version of an organism
Susceptible: Unprotected against disease
U
UHC: Universal health coverage
V
Vaccination: Injection of a killed or weakened infectious organism in order to prevent the disease
Vaccine effectiveness: Ability of a vaccine to reduce the incidence of disease in real-life conditions. Vaccine effectiveness is determined after the use of the vaccine in national immunisation programmes.
Vaccine efficacy: A vaccine's ability to reduce the incidence of disease as measured in clinical research/trial settings
VACFA: Vaccines for Africa Initiative
Virus: A tiny organism that multiplies within cells and causes disease such as chickenpox, measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis and hepatitis. Viruses are not affected by antibiotics, the drugs used to kill bacteria.
W
WAHO: West African Health Organisation
Waning immunity: The loss of protective antibodies over time
WHO: World Health Organisation
WHO AFRO: WHO Regional Office for Africa