In 2019, a new virus emerged in China, the coronavirus, which quickly spread worldwide. The virus has had a major impact on our daily life and many people have already died from the effects of the virus. Fortunately, there are already a number of vaccines, but does one vaccine work better than another? For example, some vaccines are said to be 65% effective and others 95%. “I can reassure you: all vaccines work equally well for what they serve,” says Prof. dr. dr. Corinne Vandermeulen.
Stekeleiwit
“To be completely reassured, you first and foremost need to understand how viruses work correctly,” says Vandermeulen. “A virus cannot survive without a host cell. The coronavirus is a sphere with a protrusion, which we call spine proteins. The coronavirus uses these spines to enter human cells. The spines act as a kind of key that fits on the lock of the human cell, opening the door of the human cell and allowing the genetic material of the virus to enter. The virus then gives all kinds of instructions to create new viruses. When enough new viruses are created, the human cell bursts open, which can infect new cells. After all, the human cells also break down, making you ill, ”explains Vandermeulen.
The army of the immune system
To protect us from such infections, we have our immune system. The immune system consists of white blood cells and different divisions that protect us when we are attacked. “The first important player is the B cells. These are the cells that produce antibodies when we come into contact with a virus. The antibodies settle on the outside of the spine protein and thus form a physical barrier, preventing the virus from entering new cells, ”says Vandermeulen.
In addition to the antibodies, we also have the memory cells. These cells are very important for virus recognition. “If you later come into contact with the same virus, the memory cells will send out a signal so that antibodies will be produced at lightning speed to replenish the stock in the body.” Finally, there are the T cells. “These cells ensure that the virus is eliminated and removed from the body. All these processes together ensure that we are protected against an infectious disease if we come into contact with it again, so that you do not experience the same disease twice, ”explains Vandermeulen.
mRNA vaccines and Vector vaccines
Vaccines do the same thing as the army of our immune system, they lend your body a helping hand to protect you from a wild virus, in the same way that virus does it itself. In some standard vaccines, such as the flu virus, the vaccines use a small piece of the virus to directly activate the immune system. “Two new vaccine techniques have been developed for the coronavirus, namely the mRNA vaccines and the vector vaccines,” said Vandermeulen.
“The mRNA vaccines contain the genetic code of the spine protein. That is not dangerous and can under no circumstances modify our own DNA. The genetic code is packaged in a fat globule, which protects the mRNA and allows the code to fuse easily with the human cell. The genetic code remains on the outside, so our DNA cannot change, ”says Vandermeulen. What will happen then? “The genetic code is passed on to the ribosomes, our protein factories. These factories printers different copies of the spine protein. Those copies are sent to the outside of the cell, where the immune cells are, so that antibodies will be created. ”
The vector vaccine works in a similar way to the mRNA vaccine. “The vector vaccine also contains the genetic code for spine protein, but is packaged in a harmless virus. This harmless virus enters the human cell, where it is passed on to the ribosomes, where new copies are made and the immune system then creates new antibodies and eliminates the virus, ”says Vandermeulen.
Are all vaccines equally safe?
The difference between a virus and a vaccine is that vaccination is a controlled process. “We know perfectly when you received which vaccine, which means that the follow-up runs very well. A virus is uncontrolled. There are now several vaccines that can protect us against the coronavirus and they all work in a similar way and are equally safe. The only difference we see is a difference in effectiveness, ”says Vandermeulen.
The vaccines all protect equally well against hospitalization and death, but they do not protect equally well against mild infection
So what should you make of a vaccine that is 65% or 95% effective? “The vaccines all protect equally well against hospitalization and death, but they do not protect equally well against mild infection. Some vaccines will make you more likely to get a cold, but the most important thing is that you are protected against hospitalization and death. We will need all the vaccines to return to normal pre-pandemic life, ”Vandermeulen concludes.
View the lecture of Prof. Dr. Corinne Vandermeulen at the University of Flanders:
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