COVID-19 vaccines use different technologies to train the immune system. Knowing how the vaccines work helps protect you. It reduces your risk of getting sick, becoming severely ill, or dying from the virus.
But how do the distinct sorts of vaccines work?
All COVID-19 vaccines work by helping your immune system create a protective protein called antibodies.
These proteins fight off infection by targeting the virus. The virus uses a structure called an S protein on its surface, which is used to enter human cells.
There are several main types of COVID-19 vaccines
Messenger RNA (mRNA) Vaccine
An mRNA vaccine gives your body’s cells instructions. These instructions tell the cells how to make the S protein, which is found on the surface of the virus.
After the vaccine is given, your muscle cells create the protein and then display it on their outer layer. This triggers the immune system to create antibodies. If someone later becomes infected with the virus, these antibodies help fight it off.
Once the body has used the instructions, it breaks them down and removes them.
The mRNA within the vaccine no longer enters the nucleus of the cell, where DNA is stored. Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. Read more…
Vector Vaccine
The genetic material is placed inside a modified version of another virus. This is called a viral vector. This vector helps your body’s cells make copies of the S protein (a specific protein on the COVID-19 virus).
Once these proteins appear on the cell surface, your immune system responds. It creates antibodies and defense cells, like white blood cells. If you are infected later, these antibodies help protect you from the virus.
Note that you cannot get infected by the actual virus or the vector when you receive a vector vaccine. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was a viral vector type, but it is no longer used in the United States. Read more…
Protein Subunit Vaccine
Subunit vaccines only contain specific pieces of the virus. These pieces are the most effective at stimulating the immune system.
These vaccines use harmless S proteins. When the immune system detects these proteins, it produces antibodies and defense cells. If someone becomes infected later, the antibodies can help eliminate the virus.
The Novavax vaccine is a type of subunit vaccine. It works by using only parts of the virus to trigger your immune response. Read more…
Availability of COVID-19 vaccines
- The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for 2024–2025 is offered to people aged 6 months and up.
- The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for the 2024–2025 formula is available for people 6 months of age and older.
- The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is also available.
It is vital to get vaccinated. The vaccines are updated and provide the best defense against COVID-19 as scheduled.
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