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All About the COVID-19 Vaccine
- elenamammas
- Feb 22, 2021
- 3 min read
Hello everyone and welcome back! Today's blog post is all about the COVID-19 vaccine.
News and Updates
Two COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have been developed. The vaccines are both mRNA-based. The Canadian government has made new deals with pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna to secure millions of doses in 2021. According to The Canadian Press, Canada is expected to receive over 640,000 vaccine doses from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna this week.
Pfrizer-BioNTech and Moderna
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is developed by the German company BioNTech in corporation with Pfizer. It is the first COVID-19 vaccine to be approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the first COVID-19 vaccine to be cleared for regulatory use.
On the other hand, the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is developed by Moderna Therapeutics Inc. The American biotechnology company is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Health Canada approved this vaccine on December 23, 2020.
How do the Vaccines Work?
Both vaccines are messenger RNA (mRNA) based. 'RNA' stands for ribonucleic acid, which provides our cells with the instructions for making proteins. mRNA vaccines teach our cells how to make the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that will trigger an immune response. This protein is found on the surface of the coronavirus. The spike protein causes the process of infection in a human cell. Hence, when a person receives the COVID-19 vaccine, their immune system will recognize that the protein does not belong in their body. Therefore, an immune response will be triggered and their body will start to produce antibodies. These antibodies will help fight the virus if it ever enters their body in the future.
The image above demonstrates the spike protein (in purple) that protrudes from the surface of the coronavirus.
For more information, I encourage you to watch this video on the transmission and structure of COVID-19:
The Stages of the Vaccine Development
These are the stages of the COVID-19 vaccine development process.
Exploratory Stage
In this stage, scientists try to identify antigens that can either protect the human body from the virus or help the human body fight the virus.
Pre-Clinical Stage
Once a potential vaccine has been developed, scientists and researchers begin pre-clinical animal testing to analyze the immune response created by the vaccine.
Clinical Stage
There are 3 phases in the clinical stage. In the first phase, the vaccine is tested on a small group (usually between 20 to 100 people) of healthy test subjects. Next, phase 2 focuses on a larger group of test subjects. Then, by the time phase 3 is reached, the vaccine has proven its effectiveness and potential side effects on a few hundred people. Thus, phase 3 tests the vaccine on thousands of people.
The Final Stage
The last steps of the vaccine development process is to get it out to the public.
How are the Vaccines Given?
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is given by an injection of 0.3mL into the muscle of the arm. You must get two doses of this vaccine: a single dose and then a second dose 21 days later.
Alternatively, the Moderna vaccine is given by an injection of 0.5mL into the muscle of the arm. You must get two doses of this vaccine as well: a single dose and then a second dose one month later.
Thank you for reading this blog post. Stay safe!
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Well done, very informative!