What’s in the Vaccine?
The long-awaited answer, that will satiate your curiosity about the COVID vaccine, is finally here!
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, caused by Sars-CoV-2, has brought the entire world to a standstill. With an almost asymptomatic but highly contagious incubation period, the virus causes mild to moderate respiratory illness in most people. However, older people and those with underlying medical issues like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and chronic respiratory conditions are likely to develop a severe illness.
The trials of COVID-19 vaccines have been a ray of hope to overcome the pandemic. These vaccines have been formulated so that the body can develop immunity against the Coronavirus without actually being infected. Till date there are three types of vaccines under trial:
- mRNA vaccines
2. Protein subunit vaccines
3. Vector vaccines
mRNA vaccines, which are injected into our bodies, teach our cells how to make the spike protein of the virus. When copies of the protein are made by our cells and ultimately recognized by the body, they create B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes to engulf them.
Protein subunit vaccines contain harmless protein fragments of the virus rather than the entire virus itself. On vaccination, the proteins are recognized as alien and T-lymphocytes, along with antibodies, are made to attack them.
Vector vaccines have attenuated versions of the virus that contain genetic material from Sars-CoV-2 (vector virus). When in our body, the genetic material gives information on how to make proteins unique to the Sars-Cov-2, which prompts the body to form T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes that can attack the virus, if infected in the future.
Different types of vaccines work differently to protect against the virus but ultimately, they all leave behind "memory" cells (T-lymphocytes & B-lymphocytes) that know how to fight against the virus in any future encounters with the same virus. The COVID-19 vaccines are being administered in two shots during the trials. The first shot builds protection, and the second shot is taken a few weeks later to strengthen the immune response against the viral attack.
COVID-19 vaccines have undergone rigorous safety trials and norms before being tested on people. They are one of the safest ways to build protection against infection from the virus. While the vaccine does not eradicate the Coronavirus, it undoubtedly plays a significant role in stopping and containing the pandemic and proves to be a promising agent in putting an end to this global outbreak.
For more awareness about the different types of vaccines that are used to protect us against various diseases, stay tuned to our Instagram campaign- VacScience!
Glossary
● Lymphocytes: Defensive white blood cells of the immune system that produce antibodies to attack the virus.
● Attenuated: A decrease in the pathogenicity or vitality of a microorganism or in the severity of a disease.
● Incubation Period: The time from the moment of exposure to a pathogen to the appearance of signs and symptoms of the disease.
● Asymptomatic: If one has recovered from an illness or condition and no longer exhibits symptoms or if one does have an illness but does not have the symptoms of it, they are said to be asymptomatic.
References
● https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/how-they-work.html
● https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
● https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-020-0732-3
● https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html
