The Skinny on COVID-19 Vaccines

Will mRNA vaccines change my DNA? What are the Pfizer, Moderna and Astra-Zeneca COVID-19 vaccines? Why do people want me to get vaccinated?

If you are a normal person out there confused about all the COVID-19 vaccine hubbub, keep reading to have some common questions answered.

What in the world is an mRNA vaccine?

As of January 8th, 2021, the two major vaccines offered in the United States for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are both mRNA vaccines. Keep reading to get the low-down on how the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines work.

The term “mRNA vaccine” is certainly a little scary sounding. Even those with a science background find themselves thinking back to intro biology and wondering, “Wait, isn’t RNA like DNA? So is this vaccine going to change my DNA??” Fear not: the answer is a resounding no, mRNA vaccines will not change your DNA. But how do they work?

First, let’s talk about what’s actually inside that syringe about to plunge into your or your loved one’s arm. Messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines consist of tiny pieces of mRNA, a type of genetic material similar to DNA. The mRNA in a vaccine is surrounded by a special coating to help it find its way to your immune cells and to protect it from enzymes in your body that would otherwise chew stray pieces of genetic material right up. Note that once the mRNA vaccine does its job, these same enzymes dispose of the mRNA from the vaccine, so the mRNA in COVID-19 vaccines never enters cell nuclei or alters human genetic makeup in any way.

Now that we understand what’s in the syringe, what exactly is mRNA and why are we putting it in a vaccine? Most people have a basic understanding of DNA: DNA is like an instruction booklet for how to make you, well, you. mRNA works much like DNA. More specifically, the mRNA in COVID-19 vaccines contains the instructions for a little protein on the outside of SARS-CoV-2 (as an aside, SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19). This protein, called “spike protein” is not the part of SARS-CoV-2 that makes you sick, so it is totally harmless to humans.

Spike protein is, however, what scientists call “antigenic.” Once your body uses the mRNA instruction booklet to make spike protein, the spike protein is presented to your immune system. This “antigen presentation” sets your immune system into working mode: T-cells are activated and antibodies are produced.

And--voila--you now have antibodies specific to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These SARS-CoV-2 antibodies will stick around, priming your immune system for a possible future COVID-19 exposure. Next time your immune system encounters SARS-CoV-2, it will say “hello, old friend,” and will be ready to fight off COVID-19 more robustly and quickly. What does this mean for you? You might get a less severe case of COVID-19 or might not get sick at all, which both add up to less COVID-19 spread.

To learn more about mRNA vaccines, check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) page about mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

What’s up with the Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines I keep hearing about?

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of COVID-19 on December 11th, 2020. This is an mRNA vaccine (see above for a description of how mRNA vaccines work). In clinical trials, the Pfizer vaccine was 95% effective at preventing COVID-19 in patients without previous exposure. Fun fact side note: Pfizer is pronounced “fy” (rhymes with “pie”) “zur” (rhymes with “her”) in American English.

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine was approved a few days after the Pfizer vaccine, on December 18th, 2020. Like the Pfizer vaccine above, it is an mRNA vaccine.The Moderna vaccine was 94.1% effective at COVID-19 prevention in clinical trials. The Moderna vaccine, in particular, showed high efficacy in people from a diverse array of backgrounds and people with preexisting conditions.

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in Mexico, India and the UK, but it may be several months before the vaccine is used in the United States (as of January 8th, 2021). Just like the Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines, the AstraZeneca vaccine uses genetic instructions for spike protein. However, the AstraZeneca vaccine works a little differently. Instead of mRNA, this vaccine uses DNA. The DNA is delivered to your immune system via a dead or “attenuated” virus, specifically a type of adenovirus that infects chimpanzees. Note that, like the mRNA in the Pfizer and Monderna vaccines, the DNA used in the AstraZeneca vaccine will not alter your genome in any way.

Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine and Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine​ are among the other COVID-19 vaccines that may become available to the public in the coming months. The Janssen vaccine (which you may also hear referred to as the Johnson and Johnson vaccine) had full enrollment in its large-scale (Phase 3) clinical trial as of December 17th, 2020, so is on its way to potential approval for use in the public. Novax began its Phase 3 study in the US and Mexico on December 28th, 2020 and is also on its way to potential use in the general public.

For a quick run-down on the different COVID-19 vaccines detailed above, take a look at the CDC’s Vaccine Types page.

The bottom-line on COVID-19 Vaccines

We all understand hesitancy when it comes to getting a COVID-19 vaccine. However, safety and scientific rigor are top priorities for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and companies developing these vaccines.

None of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines can make you sick with COVID-19 or make you test positive with COVID-19 on a viral test. COVID-19 vaccines do not alter or even interact with your DNA in any way. COVID-19 vaccines teach the immune system how to recognize and combat SARS-CoV-2, protecting you and your loved ones from getting sick with COVID-19.

So, let’s all do our part: wear those fashionable new masks, stay six feet apart, avoid crowds and get vaccinated!

If you want to learn more facts about COVID-19 vaccination, see the CDC’s Facts about Vaccination page. You can find information about public vaccination schedules on your county’s website. If you have questions about who is getting vaccinated right now, check out the CDC’s information on Who Should Get Vaccinated First. Remember, always talk to your healthcare provider about specific health questions and concerns.

Thank you for reading and please subscribe if you enjoyed :)

Follow @immunethought on Instagram for post updates!