Trevor James
Vaccines are designed to trigger an immune response, which produces antibodies that help protect us from getting sick. Traditionally, vaccines are made with weakened or inactivated forms of a virus or bacterium, or a small part of it, called an antigen. The body's immune system recognizes the antigen as foreign and activates immune cells to produce antibodies and create a memory of the virus or bacterium. This memory allows the body to quickly produce the right antibodies and activate the right immune cells to kill the virus or bacterium if the person comes into contact with it in the future. mRNA vaccines, on the other hand, use mRNA created in a laboratory to teach our cells how to make a protein or a piece of a protein that triggers an immune response. This immune response produces antibodies that help protect us from the virus or bacterium.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose of vaccines | To prevent severe illness and death, not the infection itself |
| Active ingredient | Antigens (whole or partial virus or bacterium) or weakened form of toxins made by a bacterium |
| Adjuvants | Substances that help the vaccine work well, e.g. aluminium salts |
| Preservatives | Used to prevent contamination, e.g. thimerosal |
| Stabilizers | Used to ensure the active ingredient doesn't break down or change during manufacturing and storage |
| Immune response | Vaccines trigger the body's immune response, producing antibodies to fight off future infections |
| mRNA vaccines | Provide instructions for the body to make proteins, triggering an immune response without causing illness |
| Live attenuated vaccines | Contain weakened viruses or bacteria, producing a strong and long-lasting immune response |
| First generation vaccines | Include whole-organism vaccines, either live and weakened or killed forms |
| Second-generation vaccines | Include subunit vaccines, consisting of specific protein antigens or recombinant protein components |
| DNA vaccines | Use DNA plasmids to encode for an antigenic protein, stimulating B- and T-cell responses |
| Monovalent vaccines | Designed to immunize against a single antigen or microorganism |
| Multivalent vaccines | Designed to immunize against multiple strains of the same microorganism or different microorganisms |
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What You'll Learn
Antibodies and antigens both play a role in fighting COVID-19
Antibodies are proteins produced by the body to help fight off infections. They are created in response to a specific foreign invader, known as an antigen. Antigens can include viruses, bacteria, or chemicals. In the case of COVID-19, the antigen is the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
When the SARS-CoV-2 virus enters the body, it invades cells and creates millions of copies of itself. The immune system then detects the presence of the foreign antigen and triggers a response to fight off the infection. This response includes the production of antibodies, specifically the IgM antibody, followed by the IgG antibody. The IgM antibody is assembled first as the body actively fights the infection, while the IgG antibody has the potential to provide long-lasting immunity.
COVID-19 vaccines work by teaching our cells to produce a harmless piece of the spike protein found on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This triggers an immune response, including the production of antibodies, without the individual having to get sick. The body then learns how to protect against future infection with the virus.
While antibodies are crucial for fighting COVID-19, it is important to note that antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2 do not indicate immunity. A positive antibody test means that the individual has previously been infected with the virus or has been vaccinated. However, it does not guarantee protection from future infection. The effectiveness of antibodies in providing immunity varies from person to person and depends on various factors.
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Vaccines trigger the body's primary immune response
Vaccines are designed to trigger the body's primary immune response. They work by imitating an infection, introducing a weakened or inactivated germ into the body to trigger an immune response. This immune response involves the production of antibodies, which are proteins made by white blood cells to identify and neutralise foreign substances.
The active ingredient in a vaccine is an antigen, which is a substance that causes the immune system to produce antibodies. An antigen can be a whole virus or bacterium, or just a part of it, and it can be either alive or inactive. The antigen could also be a weakened form of toxins made by a bacterium. In the case of mRNA vaccines, the antigen is created by the body's cells following the instructions provided by the mRNA.
When the body encounters an antigen, it recognises it as foreign, and this triggers a cascade of events that leads to the production of antibodies. B-cells, a type of immune cell, produce antibodies that are specific to the antigen, like a lock and key. These antibodies can then grab onto harmful invaders, marking them for destruction by the immune system.
In addition to antibodies, vaccines also trigger the production of memory cells, which are special immune cells that remember how to fight off a particular pathogen. These memory cells, also known as "memory" T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes, keep a "wanted poster" of harmful invaders and know which antibodies to activate for future infections. This is how vaccines provide long-lasting protection against diseases.
Overall, vaccines trigger the body's primary immune response by introducing antigens that stimulate antibody production and the activation of memory cells, resulting in protection against specific diseases without the risks associated with full-blown infections.
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Vaccines can be monovalent or multivalent
Vaccines are biological preparations that offer active acquired immunity to specific infectious or malignant diseases. They are typically made from weakened or killed forms of a microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins. The agent in the vaccine stimulates the immune system to recognise and destroy the harmful pathogen and remember how to attack it in the future.
The decision to use a monovalent or multivalent vaccine depends on various factors, including the specific disease or infection being targeted and the individual's health status. In some cases, such as with the COVID-19 vaccines, the monovalent and multivalent vaccines have been updated over time to target new variants of the virus.
It is important to note that the development of immunity after vaccination can vary among individuals. Some people's immune systems may not develop a strong or long-lasting response to certain vaccines, resulting in a weaker or shorter-lived antibody response. However, the overall effectiveness of vaccines in preventing infectious diseases has been widely studied and verified.
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mRNA vaccines deliver instructions for the body to make proteins
Vaccines are made of an active ingredient that triggers an immune response, along with ingredients that improve the vaccine's efficacy and increase its longevity. The active ingredient is usually a whole virus or bacterium, or a weakened form of toxins produced by a bacterium.
Some vaccines use instructions in the form of mRNA for the body to make antigens. mRNA vaccines use mRNA created in a laboratory to teach our cells how to make a protein, or a piece of a protein, that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. This immune response produces antibodies, which help protect us from getting infected by that particular germ in the future.
MRNA vaccines deliver "readable" instructions to the body's cells for making proteins. mRNA is the messenger that carries the information in our genetic instruction book, our DNA, and turns it into proteins. Our cells read the mRNA sequence and make proteins—all of the hormones and other things our bodies need to survive.
For example, the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines deliver instructions to the body's cells to make the spike protein found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. Once the protein piece is made, our cells break down the mRNA and remove it from the body. The immune system then recognizes that the spike protein does not belong there, triggering the production of antibodies and activating other immune cells to fight off what it thinks is an infection.
MRNA vaccines are advantageous because they eliminate the need to grow a virus or virus protein in the laboratory, which can be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. This makes it a faster and cheaper way to manufacture vaccines.
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Live attenuated vaccines produce a strong immune response
Vaccines are developed with antigens, which are the active ingredient in all vaccines. Antigens are substances that cause the immune system to begin producing antibodies. Antibodies are proteins produced by white blood cells to identify and neutralise foreign substances.
Live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) are vaccines created by reducing the virulence of a pathogen while keeping it alive. Attenuation involves altering an infectious agent so that it becomes harmless or less virulent. LAVs are "weakened" versions of pathogens (viruses or bacteria) that are modified to be unable to cause harm or disease in the body but can still activate the immune system.
LAVs produce a strong and long-lasting immune response. They stimulate both the cellular and humoral immune responses of the adaptive immune system. LAVs encourage the body to create antibodies and memory immune cells specific to the pathogen the vaccine protects against. This type of vaccine helps with the production of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes and T-dependent antibody responses.
The strength of the immune response to LAVs is such that only one or two doses are typically required to provide enduring protection. In contrast, non-live vaccines often require three or more doses to achieve protection, which may fade over time and require booster shots.
However, LAVs are not suitable for everyone. Individuals with severely compromised immune systems, such as those with HIV infection, undergoing chemotherapy, or receiving immunosuppressive therapy, are typically advised against receiving LAVs as they may not be able to produce an adequate immune response. LAVs are also generally avoided during pregnancy due to the risk of transmitting the virus to the fetus.
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Frequently asked questions
Antibodies are immune system chemicals that grab onto harmful invaders so that the immune system can destroy them. Antigens are unique parts of pathogens that the body recognizes as foreign invaders.
Vaccines trigger the body's primary immune response, prompting the immune system to produce antibodies and activate immune cells to fight off the antigens.
There are first-generation vaccines, which are whole-organism vaccines, and second-generation vaccines, which are subunit vaccines. First-generation vaccines can be further categorized into live and weakened, or killed forms. There are also nucleic acid vaccines, which use DNA or mRNA to make antigens, and vector vaccines, which use a harmless virus to deliver the pathogen.
mRNA vaccines deliver instructions for the body to make a small piece of a virus, triggering an immune response that produces antibodies.
