Immunity gap
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The time period during which a young mammal no longer receives effective immunity to diseases from antibodies in its mother's milk but its own immune system is not fully developed.
"The entry of E. coli in a protein-rich medium into the small intestine, which has a damaged surface from the switch to solid feed, at a time when the pig's immune response is normally low (the immunity gap), presents a high risk for a secretory diarrhea."
- 2 The time period between when an individual's or a population's immunity to a virus has waned (due to normal decrease in immune response over time or to the development of a new strain of the virus) and before a new vaccine can be given to boost immunity.
"However, an immunity gap in adults coupled with the presence of large numbers of susceptible children and adolescents creates the potential for an extensive epidemic."
- 3 Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see immunity, gap.
"In other words, there currently exists a Good Samaritan immunity gap between and among the states."
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"The entry of E. coli in a protein-rich medium into the small intestine, which has a damaged surface from the switch to solid feed, at a time when the pig's immune response is normally low (the immunity gap), presents a high risk for a secretory diarrhea."