![]() ![]() That is because vaccines work better than natural immunity as a long-term strategy against diseases. He observed that it is “thanks to massive vaccination efforts that we have managed to massively reduce the deaths from some pretty awful diseases like polio and smallpox. “Authorization was used to ensure that, once deemed safe and efficacious (during Phase III, so about 30,000 people, for example, for the Moderna vaccine), the vaccines could reach the population as early as possible to start to tackle the pandemic.“īored Panda asked Etienne about what his thoughts are about claims that people who have overcome the virus still need to be vaccinated because of short-term natural protection and, if that is the case, how it is known that vaccination will give that same person long-term protection. According to Etienne, the development and manufacturing of vaccines is very tightly regulated and follows a rigorous protocol for safety, whether the company is producing its first-ever vaccine or not.īased on a diagram introduced by the University of North Carolina, there is a difference between vaccines being authorized and approved, the main one being that with authorization, the scale-up of the production can happen while the testing continues. Since COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2) vaccines were introduced and have been around only a few months in the market, there have been questions sprouting around regarding long-term immunity in contrast to natural immunity and the lack of easy accessible information about the vaccine producers having made vaccines before the pandemic. The vaccines rely on different technologies to boost the immune system against the virus responsible for COVID-19 (called SARS-CoV2) and each manufacturer completed their own clinical trials to estimate the efficacy of their vaccines In each case, the immune system detects that foreign molecule and reacts against it, eventually producing specialised immune cells and antibodies that can kill the virus! So the end result is the same (immune reaction), but what is in the needle is slightly different. Etienne explained that “the main difference between the different vaccines is the mode of delivery of the foreign molecule (belonging to a pathogen from which you want to get protection… for example, the spike protein, in the case of SARS-CoV2) to train your immune system and generate an immune response that will protect you from a new or re-infection.”Įtienne also said that some vaccines rely on the body cells to express that molecule (via encapsulated DNA in a viral vector or mRNA in lipid nanoparticles – those are fairly new techniques) while other vaccines deliver the molecule directly to the immune cells (subunit vaccine, virus-like particle or inactivated virus – inactivated virus is the oldest method). I got more into science infographics when I wrote my PhD and I wanted to explain some concepts with cartoons.”Įncapsulated mRNA, DNA, viral vector, and inactivated virus might sound confusing. I started making flyers and posters during my undergraduate studies in biology. I’m a very visual person and curious so that’s probably why I was drawn to biology and eventually to the study of the 3D shape of proteins. “I think I’ve always been curious about both science and drawing. Etienne is a PhD biochemist and not a medical doctor or a virologist, and he pointed out that any health recommendations should come from personal doctors if there are any personal concerns about the vaccines.Įtienne is a scientist in a UK biotech company and, in his free time, makes cartoons about biology and science. The main caveat is that efficacy between vaccines cannot be compared since each clinical trial has its own standard (‘end-point’) to assess COVID-19 cases. The jabs rely on different technologies to boost the immune system against the virus responsible for COVID-19 (called SARS-CoV2) and each manufacturer completed their own clinical trials to estimate the efficacy of their vaccines. As there is a ton of data about the new vaccines and it can be confusing for the general public to grasp it fully, Etienne behind the LaPipette project created simple and understandable flash cards for comparison of the new vaccines.
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