Question

What does ‘T’ stand for in the DPT vaccine?
A. Tuberculosis
B. Typhoid
C. Trachoma
D. Tetanus

Answer 1

Hint: Vaccines are known as the biological preparations that are associated to provide active or acquired immunity against a particular infection or infectious disease. The vaccine after its administration inside the body of the organism stimulates the immune system and further helps the body to fight against any infections.

Complete answer:
The DPT vaccine is a class of combination vaccines. It is administered as a part of childhood vaccines and is administered in children of age less than five years.
The DPT vaccine belongs to the combined class of vaccines against three infections or infectious diseases in humans which are diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. The ‘T’ in the DTP vaccine stands for tetanus while D and P stands for diphtheria and pertussis.
 The vaccine components are diphtheria and tetanus toxoids. It includes either the whole celled bacteria that caused the pertussis or antigens of pertussis. The pertussis whole cells or antigens are depicted by DTwP or DTaP where, ‘w’ denotes the use of whole cells and ‘a’ represents that antigen has been utilized. This vaccine is also known as DTaP/IPV, DTPa-IPV or DPT-IPV. This vaccine protects against infectious diseases.
Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and it affects the lungs with chronic cough, weight loss, fever etc. The vaccine for tuberculosis is Bacille Calmette-Guerin(BCG).
Typhoid is caused by bacterial infection caused by Salmonella and causes fever, abdominal pains and weakness and the vaccines available are typhoid conjugate vaccine or TCV and Vi capsular polysaccharide vaccine or ViPS.
Trachoma is a type of bacterial infection that affects the eyes and it is contagious. It is treated with the help of antibiotics and currently no vaccine is available for it.

Therefore, the correct option is option D.

Additional information:
Diphtheria is caused by the bacteria C. diptheriae and causes fever, coarse coughing, patches at throat and enlarged lymph nodes at the neck region. It is contagious and can be easily prevented by vaccine. Pertussis vaccine is administered to prevent the disease of whooping cough or pertussis. The acellular or antigenic pertussis vaccine is very much effective. Tetanus is a bacterial infection and causes muscular spasms. It is also known as lockjaw. The spasms develop in the jaws and it extends to other parts of the body. Other important symptoms include fever, sweating, headache, high blood pressure and a high heart rate.

Note: The DPT vaccine acts against three important bacterial diseases and it helps in the prevention of the diseases of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis in small children. The ‘T’ in the DPT vaccine stands for tetanus as this vaccine provides immunity against the tetanus disease also.