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How Do Vaccines Work Against COVID?
mRNA vaccines - Moderna, Pfizer
A lab-developed mRNA tells your body to produce a harmless piece of the COVID-19 SPIKE PROTEIN. (Mayo Clinic)
a. mRNA in vaccine enters your cell.
b. SPIKE PROTEIN is created & displayed on your cell’s surface - mRNA never enters your nucleus & is later broken down (CDC - Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work).
Vector Vaccines - J&J
A harmless virus is modified to carry COVID-19’s genetic instructions (RNA) for the SPIKE PROTEIN & tells your body to produce it. (Mayo Clinic)
a. Viral vector in vaccine enters your cell.
b. SPIKE PROTEIN is created & displayed on your cell’s surface - COVID-19’s RNA never enters your nucleus & is later broken down (CDC - Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work).
Protein Subunit Vaccines - Novavax
Bacteria transfected with COVID-19’s genetic instructions (RNA) for the SPIKE PROTEIN are used to produce many PROTEINs for vaccines.
a. RNA is inserted into bacteria to produce SPIKE PROTEIN. PROTEINs are isolated.
b. Vaccine introduces an adjuvant & SPIKE PROTEIN to your body cells (Mayo Clinic)
Your Immune Response
All 3 vaccine types initiate your immune system’s response to readily produce antibodies if later infected with COVID-19 (Wellcome Trust).
c. Your immune system eventually recognizes the SPIKE PROTEIN as foreign, producing antibodies and memory cells specific to those PROTEINs (CDC - Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work). With future infections, memory cells allow for a much faster response with far more antibodies when the PROTEIN is recognized. This has proven highly effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death (CDC - Benefits of Getting A COVID-19 Vaccine). Multiple boosters reinforce your immunity.
Want to learn more about this topic?
Check out the additional resources below!
Wellcome Trust - "What different types of Covid-19 vaccine are there?"wellcome.org/news/what-different-types-covid-19-vaccine-are-there
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