Gorgeous, gorgeous girls get vaccinated.

Where do I even start? It has been almost two years since Toronto went into its first pandemic-induced lockdown. Since then, there have been many infections, deaths, variants, and vaccines. "Anti-vaxxers" are people that are against vaccines. For one, there were already a lot of anti-vaxxers pre-pandemic. When you introduce a new vaccine for a pandemic which was announced less than a year before, you get even more anti-vaxxers. If I'm being honest, I also experienced some vaccine-hesitancy in the beginning and was a little confused about how it all worked. But me being a science student, I never really questioned public health authorities. I trusted that whatever I was being told to do or take was the best option for me given the present knowledge. With the new recommendations to take a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, I thought I would actually sit down and do my research into what the vaccine is and how it works. I hope that the information I found will also answer any questions you may have so that you can be more sure of your choice to get vaccinated this time around!

Infections and Our Body

Before we talk specifically about how the vaccine works, let's start by talking very briefly about how our bodies respond to infections, to better understand the goal of the vaccine. An infection is when a virus enters our body, multiplies, and attacks it. Our immune systems are equipped with immune cells called white blood cells which help the body fight off infections. There are three types of white blood cells that are particularly important for our understanding. These are the macrophages, B-lymphocytes, and T-lymphocytes.

• Macrophages engulf and digest materials in the body that they cannot identify as healthy cells. When macrophages digest harmful organisms, they leave behind antigens.

• B-lymphocytes produce the antibodies which attack and get rid of the antigens leftover by macrophages. 

• T-lymphocytes act on cells that have already been infected. T-lymphocytes are also referred to as the body's "memory cells" because they are stored in the body long-term after a virus is combatted to provide a source of rapid response if the virus is encountered again. 

How the COVID mRNA Vaccine Works

Creating all of the machinery necessary to fight off infectious viruses like the  SARS-CoV-2 which is the virus causing COVID-19, can take a long time. The vaccine essentially makes it so that our body has the machinery to fight the virus without actually being infected with the virus. Thus, the vaccine equips the body with the white blood cells it needs to learn how to fight off SARS-CoV-2. 

Note: There are different types of COVID-19 vaccines such as the mRNA vaccine, the viral vector vaccine, and the protein subunit vaccine. However, the mRNA vaccine is the one that I am going to be discussing in-depth as that is the only type approved in Canada. 

The COVID-19 mRNA vaccine contains instructions on how to create a protein that is unique to SARS-CoV-2. The harmless protein that is created is called the spike protein. The spike protein is found on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 and acts as a marker for the virus. Although your cells go back and destroy the genetic material in the vaccine to prevent further production of the harmless proteins, they also present the protein themselves. However, because the body knows that the spike protein should not be on its cells, this triggers an immune response. Your B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes now have to learn how to get rid of the copies of the spike proteins by creating the necessary antibodies. The white blood cells remember this for the future so they are able to fight off SARS-CoV-2 if you are later infected by it.

It is important to note that it still takes time for your body to create the B-lymphocytes and the T-lymphocytes necessary after you get vaccinated. Thus, any symptoms you experience as a result of the vaccine are likely a natural immune system reaction.

Answering some FAQs

Before I go, I wanted to answer some FAQs. However, please remember that the virus and vaccine are new to everyone. It is simply the best recommendation that can be given to ensure public health and safety at the moment. Further, rigorous, inclusive, and diverse testing has been done to ensure the efficacy of the vaccine for the general population. Please keep up to date with your local public health guidelines for the best advice.

How was the COVID vaccine created so quickly?

Researchers have been studying mRNA vaccines for a long time to prepare for outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the manufacturing processes and the technologies were pretty much ready. All that was needed was genetic information about SARS-CoV-2. Once that was supplied and factored into the creation of the vaccine, it was ready to be tested. It is important to note that regardless of the quick supply of vaccines, none of the required testing steps were missed.

Can the COVID vaccine give me COVID?

The COVID-19 vaccines do not contain any live viruses or infection-causing components. So no, you cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine.

Why do I need to take so many doses of the vaccine?

The companies producing the vaccines have different guidelines for how many doses you must take to be considered "fully vaccinated". The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines require a person to take two doses to be considered fully vaccinated. This just means that at this point, the vaccine should act at its full efficacy. However, most vaccines can become less effective over time and require booster doses. Examples include Tdap, MMR, and of course, the flu vaccine which public health recommends everyone take once a year. 

Although it is safe to say that the two initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are still effective in reducing the chances of severe illness and hospitalization, public health experts are noticing the reduced effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine over time. This is especially true for at-risk populations such as seniors. However, research has shown that a booster dose has increased the immune response of those who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines approximately 6 months prior. Thus, given the new Omicron variant which is much more transmissible, booster doses are encouraged to increase protection against the effects of the virus. 

It is unclear how many more booster doses we will need. However, based on the current data, it seems that it is in our best interest to take the booster doses as they become available (and recommended) so that we are better equipped against potential COVID-19 infections and outbreaks.

How come fully vaccinated people can still be infected?

The vaccine does not prevent you from getting COVID-19 altogether. It simply better prepares your body to fight possible infections and reduces the chances of severe illness, hospitalization, and death. It is also important to note that because the vaccine takes multiple days to weeks to be effective, if the virus enters your body just before getting vaccinated, the vaccine may not be as effective at increasing your immune response to the virus.

That's it from me for now. I hope I was able to answer some of your questions and ease some confusion. If you have any more questions, a great website to visit is cdc.gov. However, please note that this is United States facility and not up-to-date with Canadian protocols. You can always call your local pharmacy or public health department for more relevant information. Stay safe and get vaccinated!

Citations

• Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/how-they-work.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/about-vaccines/how-they-work.html

• Understanding mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html

• Get the facts about COVID-19 vaccines. (2021, December 18). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-vaccine/art-20484859

• Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Safe? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/is-the-covid19-vaccine-safe