How the COVID-19 vaccine works
For more detailed information on the COVID-19 vaccine visit the FDA website
Viruses
When a virus enters your body, it searches for a cell to attach to because without the cell, the virus cannot reproduce
Viruses
Once attached, it can then enter into the cell and use the the cell’s “machinery” (for lack of a better word) to reproduce
Viruses
The idea of a vaccine is that we try to get our immune system ready ahead of time so that when a virus enters, we have what we need to fight it off quicker
It doesn’t keep the virus from entering our body, but it keeps us from making us sick
Macrophage
T cells
Antibodies
Viruses
Eventually, the cell becomes overwhelmed and bursts, releasing new copies of the virus into your body, which repeat this process
Vaccines
Vaccines contain weak virus particles (“dead”, they can’t reproduce at all)
Even though they are “dead”, our body still recognizes them as a virus and activates the immune system
Particularly, our body makes a bunch of antibodies. Antibodies are a special molecule that can attach to the virus (in this case, the spikes) that, if the virus were alive, would keep it from attaching to our cells
Vaccines
Eventually, the “dead” virus goes away (gets broken down by our cells), but we are left with the antibodies
So, when a real virus shows up...boom! They attack before the virus can infect our cells
This is how the majority of vaccines work (except the coronavirus vaccines...but we will get to that)
Let’s look at some data about the history of vaccines
Coronavirus vaccines
Remember, a typical vaccine uses a weak or “dead” virus to trigger your body to make lots of antibodies
There are 2 coronavirus vaccines approved for use in the USA, and 240 more being developed and/or used around the world. Some of them work this way. But some of them work differently
Coronavirus vaccines
Some of them use the weak virus
Some of them use part of the weak virus (like just the spike protein, which we know is important for why the coronavirus makes us so sick)
And some of them use a small bit viruses genetic material (called mRNA) that they know is responsible for making the spikes. These are the ones that are currently approved in the US
Coronavirus vaccines
The mRNA is injected into our body from the vaccine
The mRNA is absorbed into certain cells in our body
Coronavirus vaccines
Once inside, the mRNA tells our cells to make a part of the spike protein that is found on coronavirus
Then, our cells destroy the mRNA (thankfully)
Coronavirus vaccines
Then, just like in a “normal” vaccine, our body recognizes the spike protein and makes antibodies
Coronavirus vaccines
The spike eventually goes away, but we have the antibodies left, ready to fight a real coronavirus infection
The end result is the same (having antibodies), but without using the actual virus in the vaccine
Coronavirus vaccines
True or False: These mRNA vaccines are less effective at preventing disease than typical vaccines
False - they do better than many typical vaccines
Coronavirus Vaccines
True or False: Everyone needs to get the coronavirus vaccine in order for covid to go away
False...not everyone. But, nearly everyone. 94% of people need to be immune (either by infection or vaccine) before covid will be “controlled”