Science Edition Future STEM leaders
By: FUTURE STEM LEADERS Tahmina Fayezi
JANUARY 2021 ISSUE No. 1
Ever since the month of March 2020, everyone has been paranoid about the global pandemic that has been an enduring issue. It lingers at the surface within all matters from academics to politics.
Since then, companies like Pfizer and Moderna have come out with vaccinations using their meticulous scientific research. There is this conversation about these vaccines, but what does it really mean to be vaccinated?
2 rounds of shots will be administered to a patient that will allow about 94-95% of immunity and protection from COVID-19. The second round will come 3-12 weeks after the first to further protect the patient from Coronavirus.
This level of immunity, however, is only temporary. Experts say the longevity of the vaccine is still unknown, but it has been known to last at least 120 days after the shots are administered.
Most vaccines from different companies will have very similar symptoms and effectiveness, but it is essential to be consistent in which company you get your vaccination from based on your availability.
The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered to the public that is 18 years and older. In clinical trials, approximately 15,400 individuals 18 years of age and older have received at least one dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. Meanwhile, the Mayo Clinic reports that the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is available to people age 16 and older.
People will in fact receive first priority on the COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccines will be administered in phases, and the first phases are going to be given to front line essential workers, residents in a long term care facility, and the elderly that have aged 75 or older.
Phases may overlap as well as the groups in which the CDC would like to target. There are hopes that the large majority of people will be vaccinated
by the end of 2021.
Technology Behind The Vaccine
The approved vaccinations from Pfizer and Moderna both use the technology of mRNA, or messenger RNA. This technology allows the body to make immune responses against the proteins that are created as a result of testing positive. The mRNA gives the body instructions to create these spike-proteins. Similar to the coronavirus molecule, it has these spikes on its edges that cling onto the body's cells. It gives the cells to attack any proteins in this shape. However, the vaccine must be given after a certain amount
of time to create more spike proteins.
Other Vaccination Attempts
There has been hundreds of attempts at the coronavirus vaccine in order to immunize the
body. One of the most common attempts was to inject a pathogen, or a dead/inactive sample of the coronavirus into the body. Similar to the flu shot, it allows the immune system to actively attack the disease. Moreover, there has also been innovative attempts such as injecting DNA that will allow the body to make a protein that can shock the immune system. These are some of the several attempts of this vaccine, but only a few companies have been successful using mRNA technology.
Sources:
Coy, Peter, and Shawn Hasto. Most Coronavirus Vaccine Projects Are Taking
Unorthodox Routes. 11 Aug. 2020, www.bloomberg.com/features/2020-covid-
vaccine-research/.
“Dr. Leana Wen On The Science Of COVID-19 Vaccine.” NPR, NPR, 20 Dec.
2020, www.npr.org/2020/12/20/948614854/dr-leana-wen-on-the-science-of-
covid-19-vaccine.
Palca, Joe. All You Wanted To Know About Coronavirus Vaccine Science But
Were Afraid To Ask. 24 June 2020, www.npr.org/sections/health-
shots/2020/06/24/881704736/all-you-wanted-to-know-about-coronavirus-
vaccine-science-but-were-afraid-to-
ask/#:~:text=The%20spike%20protein%20allows%20the%20virus%20to%20ins
ert,and%20then%20the%20person's%20cells%20start%20producing.
When Vaccine Is Limited, Who Should Get Vaccinated First? 8 Jan. 2021,
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations.html.
