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This @nytimes page is really useful for explaining how each of the leading vaccines work. If you are in the US, most likely you will be offered the Moderna or Pfizer mRNA vaccines. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/health/how-covid-19-vaccines-work.html
Generally, people will not be able to choose which vaccine they get. Furthermore, the time has long passed concerning the decision of which vaccine candidates to fund the development of.
Today, your choice (in USA/Canada) is just whether to get the mRNA vaccine or not.
Today, your choice (in USA/Canada) is just whether to get the mRNA vaccine or not.
For the folks who wanted the old school full inactivated virus vaccines, you're out of luck.
The only Western vaccine companies making this type of vaccine are still in phase 1/2. Those approved for emergency use are mainly from Chinese companies. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html
The only Western vaccine companies making this type of vaccine are still in phase 1/2. Those approved for emergency use are mainly from Chinese companies. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html
This is how inactivated virus vaccines work. They have zero ability to make more copies of themselves or even any parts of the virus. This approach is used in many of the vaccines we're familiar with: flu, polio, whooping cough, rabies, hepatitis A. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/health/sinopharm-covid-19-vaccine.html
TBH the full inactivated virus is the type of vaccine I wanted for various reasons. I wish the US would've funded one of these in early 2020. But like I said, we are way past the point of being able to pick which type of vaccine we can get in our respective countries.
So let's break down the Pfizer mRNA vaccine and understand how it works. It's similar to the Moderna mRNA vaccine but they have different "oily shells" packaging the mRNA. The @nytimes does a good job of covering the basics. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/health/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine.html
The main thing is that these mRNA vaccines give your own body's cells the ability to make more copies of the covid-19/SARS-CoV-2 virus spike. Not the entire virus, just the spikes = pointy bits that stick out from the virus surface.
Both the RNA and the spike sequence used in these mRNA vaccines are not the ones you find in nature. These modifications were made to make the mRNA and the spike protein more stable/durable.
https://dnascience.plos.org/2020/12/17/the-first-covid-19-vaccines-whats-mrna-got-to-do-with-it/
https://dnascience.plos.org/2020/12/17/the-first-covid-19-vaccines-whats-mrna-got-to-do-with-it/
For both, as far as I can tell, the modification of the RNA is the addition of pseudouridines. I wish they would've made the Pardi et al. 2015 paper open access...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525001616326818 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168365915300535
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525001616326818 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168365915300535
If you somehow get a copy, you'll see this experiment where mice were treated with the mRNA lipid nanoparticles (similar to the vaccines) in different ways. In these mice, the mRNA were expressed/did their job for a few days to maybe a week.
This is desirable because you don't want to keep making SARS-CoV-2 spikes in your body for months or years. You just want to make enough to raise a non-severe immune response in your body.
What I would have liked, in terms of more data, is biodistribution and half-life of the modified RNA. Where do these LNPs go in your body? When is the modified RNA fully degraded (not detectable any more)?
It's possible these data exist and I haven't found them yet.
It's possible these data exist and I haven't found them yet.
Nonetheless, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines seem to be safe so far - although vaccinated people in clinical trials will be tracked (safety monitoring) for the next 2 years.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2034577 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Pfizer-BioNTech.html
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2034577 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Pfizer-BioNTech.html
Deciding whether to take the vaccine is up to each person.
Many, including even healthcare workers, have declined the mRNA vaccines because they want to wait and see the long term safety data.
That means taking the risk of catching any of the SARS2 variants while waiting.
Many, including even healthcare workers, have declined the mRNA vaccines because they want to wait and see the long term safety data.
That means taking the risk of catching any of the SARS2 variants while waiting.
Some people can afford to hide out the rest of the pandemic while everyone else gets vaccinated, but this means no travel, public/social events etc. until you're sure that herd immunity has been established. Even then, there's still risk of catching the covid-19 virus.
There are also people who want the vaccine but feel bad going ahead of others who are more at risk of catching covid.
Although, seeing the number of people declining the vaccine, I think now that it may be better for people to just take the vaccine and post it to social media.
Although, seeing the number of people declining the vaccine, I think now that it may be better for people to just take the vaccine and post it to social media.
Distilling the choice down to the minimum - we are choosing between a novel vaccine that appears to protect against covid and doesn't have severe adverse events (at least in the short term, in 10Ks of people) vs a SARS virus that has good chance of severe/long-term effects.
Regardless of what people choose, let's not shame anyone for their choice.
If someone, even at high risk of covid, doesn't want the vaccine - that's fine.
If someone, even at low risk, gets the vaccine ahead of others - that's fine.
Let's help each other through the pandemic.
If someone, even at high risk of covid, doesn't want the vaccine - that's fine.
If someone, even at low risk, gets the vaccine ahead of others - that's fine.
Let's help each other through the pandemic.
To add to this - because seeing comments about informing the public - I checked with a friend who used to work in the lab whose LNP (oily shell) tech is being used in these mRNA vaccines. The biodistribution looks safe.
I plan to take the Pfizer/Moderna vaccine.
I plan to take the Pfizer/Moderna vaccine.
