The Technology Behind mRNA COVID Jabs
The World Health Organization approved its tenth Covid-19 vaccine Nuvaxovid from the US company Novavax on Tuesday.
While the heavily mutated Omicron variant throws even more uncertainty into the mix, here’s a look at the technology behind the hits.
– “Subunit” And “Viral Vector” –
Novavax jab is a subunit vaccine that contains part of the virus, in this case, the spike protein.
This method is already used for stings for whooping cough, meningitis, and hepatitis B.
The EU also backed Novavax this week, and bloc chair Ursula von der Leyen said she hoped it would “offer strong encouragement to anyone who has not yet been vaccinated or boosted.”
Two other EU-licensed injections, AstraZeneca and Jansen, use “viral vector” technology, in which a modified version of the virus causes the body to develop defenses.
Richer countries have pulled back from these blows, relying instead on Pfizer and Moderna. AstraZeneca is now mainly supplied to poor countries through the Covax program.
– mRNA above –
By far the most widely used Covid-19 vaccines Comirnaty from Pfizer / BioNTech and Spikevax from Moderna use state-of-the-art mRNA technology.
Instead of using a modified component or virus, mRNA vaccines instruct the body to make proteins that are similar to those of the virus.
The body then reacts to these proteins and builds up a defense that will fight Covid-19 when it enters the body.
As per McGill University record, Comirnaty has been approved in more than 100 countries and Spikevax in 80, with both strokes having the best efficiency records.
– Omicron makes things possible –
The highly contagious Omicron variant was a game-changer.
Recent laboratory tests show that antibody levels in blood samples from people vaccinated with Pfizer and Moderna decrease when exposed to Omicron.
The decline is even more pronounced among those vaccinated with AstraZeneca or Sinovac, a Chinese vaccine approved in 50 countries.
A booster appears to revive antibody immunity, and Pfizer and Moderna announce positive recent test results.
The problem is, no one knows how long this impulse will last.
With Novavax, even less is known about its effectiveness against variants than in clinical studies when the alpha and beta variants were still dominant.
That doesn’t mean vaccines against Omicron are useless, however – the body has a secondary immune defense called a T-cell response that fights the virus by attacking infected cells.
This secondary response is especially important in preventing more severe forms of the disease.
A recent study from South Africa showed that Pfizer / BioNTech was still effective in preventing severe Covid from Omicron even after just two injections.
Pfizer and Moderna have said they are working on certain Omicron hits, but it’s unclear whether they’ll be necessary.
Also Read: Pfizer Says Its Booster Is Highly Effective Against Omicron
– Youth debate put on hold –
The EU has followed the United States and Israel in allowing spanking for children ages 5-11.
Children in the EU and US can use Pfizer / BioNTech at a third of the adult dose.
Vaccinating children against Covid-19 remains a matter of scientific debate, however, as young people rarely get seriously ill and injections, albeit rarely, can have side effects that affect the heart.
Instead, the aim is to prevent children from spreading the disease.
However, scientists are also questioning its practicality, as protection against Omicron apparently requires three hits.
“At that point, the children will be fully protected until the end of March and we will have passed all the most dangerous waves,” virologist Benjamin Davido told French radio.
Also Read: Study Reveals Pfizer Booster Dose Effectively Neutralizes The Omicron Variant