Glossary terms with V 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 V Vaccine A vaccine contains an antigen that is given to individuals in order to establish protective immunity against a particular infection. Vaccine design Vaccine design is the process of targeted adjustments of a vaccine. Validation In biological research, validation refers to providing evidence for the suitability of a method or substance or for the validity of a theory. Vancomycin Vancomycin is an antibiotic used to treat infections with gram-positive bacteria (e.g. streptococci or staphylococci). Viral load Viral load is the quantity of virus in a given amount of patient’s blood. Viremia Viremia describes the (massive) presence of viruses in the blood. Virostatic agents Virostatic agents are drugs to fight viral infections. Virulence Virulence is a pathogen’s ability to cause disease. It determines the degree of pathogenicity. Virus blocker A virus blocker is a substance that inhibits viral replication.