The pandemic has put everything at a halt, like a boulder blocking the road, halting the effect of time. Who wouldn’t want to go back to a normal life? A life where you wouldn’t have to wear masks, unfollow social distancing guidelines, hug each other, and eat at a restaurant together where everything seems like before. While you have been waiting patiently, passing the time by binge-watching, and getting used to the mundane work from home schedule, scientists around the world have been trying to grant us our wish so that the world will resume.
They have worked hard, and the process that takes a decade has been brought down to just a year. Even though our scientists have developed a cure, it is apparent that you might have your doubts. There have been many developments, and countries like the US, Germany, UK, Russia, China, and India are at the forefront of combatting the virus with efficacious vaccines. Even though “vaccine” is an umbrella term, there are various types of vaccines, and their primary function is to make our body cells ready to fight a specific foreign body, like the SARS-CoV-2 for the Covid-19 vaccine.
What is the mRNA Vaccine, and how is it effective?
While the traditional way of making a vaccine is to use an inactive germ in our bodies to teach our cells to fight, mRNA has an entirely different way of functioning. It signals our cells to produce proteins, which sets in a reaction chain triggering our immune system. The antibodies produced in this process are what helps to combat the virus in a real scenario. In the case of COVID-19, mRNA instructs our cells to produce a spike protein (found at the surface of SARS-CoV2).
After the Spike proteins’ production, the cells get rid of it and destroy the instructions to make the protein, thus developing a detailed response to spike protein. Now, when the SARS-CoV2 enters your body, a response is generated as the spike protein is considered harmful by your body’s cells, shielding you from the virus. Thus, keeping you safe before the virus causes any damage to your body avoiding critical care. Pfizer, BioNTech, and Fosun Pharma use the concept of mRNA to make the Cominarty vaccine. While in the United States, BARDA and NIAID have developed the Moderna vaccine using the same idea.
- Community – Pfizer, BioNTech, Fosun Pharma
The Cominarty vaccine is 95% effective, according to the primary trial data. The common side effects that you can expect are anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction), fever, fatigue, headaches, swelling, or redness at the site of injection, and joint pain. These side effects have been seen in 1 out of 10 people who had been administered this vaccine.
- US – Moderna BARDA NIAID
The Moderna vaccine has a similar side-effect like the Comirnaty as observed in 1 out of 10 people. One can expect additional side effects are swollen lymph glands at the dosage administration site, nausea, and vomiting. Moderna shows a 94.1% efficiency, and after the first dosage, the effectiveness is as high as 85%. The side effects are mild and not fatal.