CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN BIOLOGY
FINAL PAPER 2026 TEST QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS VERIFIED
●● Describe how an aggressive vaccination campaign resulted in the
worldwide eradication of smallpox.
Answer: The World Health Organization (WHO) began a vaccination
campaign against smallpox in the 1960s --> Decline in Number of
Countries Reporting Smallpox Cases -->Areas afflicted with smallpox
declined during the 60s and 70s --> Smallpox was eradicated in the wild
by 1977
●● Describe the general concept of vaccination and how it results in
immunity from a particular disease
Answer: Most vaccines use a form of the pathogen that has been altered
so that it is not capable of causing disease (symptoms) in the vaccine
recipient, but the vaccine still results in the formation of antibodies and
memory cells protecting you from the disease. Vaccines provide a
mechanism for the recipient to produce memory cells and antibodies
without having to first go through the initial stages of the immune
response to a potentially deadly disease such as smallpox.
●● booster shots
Answer: A repeat application of a vaccine necessary for long-lasting or
full immunity to a particular pathogen.
,●● when should adults receive tetanus vaccine booster
Answer: once every 10 years
●● when should adults receive pertussis vaccine booster
Answer: 1 dose (repeat for every pregnancy)
●● when should adults receive influenza vaccine booster
Answer: 1 dose annually
●● Explain the effect of vaccination on a person's antibody
concentration and number of memory cells.
Answer: formation of antibodies and memory cells protecting you from
the disease. Vaccines provide a mechanism for the recipient to produce
memory cells and antibodies without having to first go through the
initial stages of the immune response to a potentially deadly disease
●● Explain what happens in a population when there is a decrease in the
percentage of people getting vaccinations for a disease
Answer: if there is a decrease of people receiving the vaccine for a
disease, they can contract that disease and bring it back into the
community
the disease can then grow immune to its own vaccine
,●● Describe the current vaccinations rates for children in the U.S
Answer: 77% of children are fully vaccinated, the rest are only missing a
few shots
●● Describe the cause, symptoms, and potential long-term consequences
of polio.
Answer: cause: virus that in some people attacks the nervous system and
prevents nerve impulses being sent to the muscles
symptoms: muscles weaken and a person can become crippled or die
long term consequences: paralysis or muscle weakness remains for life
●● Sabin vaccine
Answer: -for polio
-introduced in 1961
-made of live but weakened polio viruses
-take orally
-protects against polio and against carrying polio
-in rare instances, person can get polio from the vaccine
-made by Dr. Albert Sabin
●● Salk vaccine
, Answer: -for polio
-introduced in 1955
-made of killed polio viruses
-protects against polio but a person can carry it
-made by Dr. Jonas Salk
●● Describe the reasons why some people mistakenly thought there
might be a connection between vaccines and autism
Answer: -Some parents of children with autism say the first noticed
signs of autism a few days, weeks or months after receiving the MMR
vaccine (normally given at 12 to 15 months of age). They assume this
shows cause and effect.
-An article was published in the Lancet by Andrew Wakefield
concluding that autism may be caused by the MMR vaccine
●● Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus.
Answer: true
●● Polio can cause paralysis of humans
Answer: true
●● Polio has no cure.
Answer: true
FINAL PAPER 2026 TEST QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS VERIFIED
●● Describe how an aggressive vaccination campaign resulted in the
worldwide eradication of smallpox.
Answer: The World Health Organization (WHO) began a vaccination
campaign against smallpox in the 1960s --> Decline in Number of
Countries Reporting Smallpox Cases -->Areas afflicted with smallpox
declined during the 60s and 70s --> Smallpox was eradicated in the wild
by 1977
●● Describe the general concept of vaccination and how it results in
immunity from a particular disease
Answer: Most vaccines use a form of the pathogen that has been altered
so that it is not capable of causing disease (symptoms) in the vaccine
recipient, but the vaccine still results in the formation of antibodies and
memory cells protecting you from the disease. Vaccines provide a
mechanism for the recipient to produce memory cells and antibodies
without having to first go through the initial stages of the immune
response to a potentially deadly disease such as smallpox.
●● booster shots
Answer: A repeat application of a vaccine necessary for long-lasting or
full immunity to a particular pathogen.
,●● when should adults receive tetanus vaccine booster
Answer: once every 10 years
●● when should adults receive pertussis vaccine booster
Answer: 1 dose (repeat for every pregnancy)
●● when should adults receive influenza vaccine booster
Answer: 1 dose annually
●● Explain the effect of vaccination on a person's antibody
concentration and number of memory cells.
Answer: formation of antibodies and memory cells protecting you from
the disease. Vaccines provide a mechanism for the recipient to produce
memory cells and antibodies without having to first go through the
initial stages of the immune response to a potentially deadly disease
●● Explain what happens in a population when there is a decrease in the
percentage of people getting vaccinations for a disease
Answer: if there is a decrease of people receiving the vaccine for a
disease, they can contract that disease and bring it back into the
community
the disease can then grow immune to its own vaccine
,●● Describe the current vaccinations rates for children in the U.S
Answer: 77% of children are fully vaccinated, the rest are only missing a
few shots
●● Describe the cause, symptoms, and potential long-term consequences
of polio.
Answer: cause: virus that in some people attacks the nervous system and
prevents nerve impulses being sent to the muscles
symptoms: muscles weaken and a person can become crippled or die
long term consequences: paralysis or muscle weakness remains for life
●● Sabin vaccine
Answer: -for polio
-introduced in 1961
-made of live but weakened polio viruses
-take orally
-protects against polio and against carrying polio
-in rare instances, person can get polio from the vaccine
-made by Dr. Albert Sabin
●● Salk vaccine
, Answer: -for polio
-introduced in 1955
-made of killed polio viruses
-protects against polio but a person can carry it
-made by Dr. Jonas Salk
●● Describe the reasons why some people mistakenly thought there
might be a connection between vaccines and autism
Answer: -Some parents of children with autism say the first noticed
signs of autism a few days, weeks or months after receiving the MMR
vaccine (normally given at 12 to 15 months of age). They assume this
shows cause and effect.
-An article was published in the Lancet by Andrew Wakefield
concluding that autism may be caused by the MMR vaccine
●● Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus.
Answer: true
●● Polio can cause paralysis of humans
Answer: true
●● Polio has no cure.
Answer: true
