COVID-19
Vaccines against SARS-2 Questions
- Why do we suddenly have new vaccines?
- What is the difference between mRNA and DNA vaccines?
- Were embryos aborted to create vaccines?
- Does mRNA vaccination change your genes?
- Could the DNA vaccines be integrated in the genome?
- Are the vaccines registered for use?
- Are the vaccines safe?
- Were aborted embryos used to test vaccines?
Why do we suddenly have new vaccines?
Old vaccines were ineffective or risky against virus infections, so new development started before this epidemic
- Traditionally, two types of vaccines were made against viruses that suffered from their own problems.
- Inactivated viruses were typically good in inducing antibody responses but often quite ineffective against virus diseases, since T-cell immunity offers the most important part of protection against viruses.
- Attenuated viruses in general comfort excellent protection against disease because the limited infection would trigger strong T-cell responses, like natural infections. Attenuated viruses carry the risk of reverting to the pathogenic variant that would cause the disease.
- Most immunity is against viruses is directed against an immunodominant protein; therefore, research started several decades ago to create vaccines with only the specific protein. This strategy has shown its effectivity in creating vaccines against SARS-2. The fundamental research is not new but the SARS-2 vaccinations are the first large scale implementation of this strategy.
What is the difference between mRNA and DNA vaccines?
mRNA is an instable work copy of DNA
- Our genetic material is stored in the DNA of our chromosomes. To make proteins, DNA is transcribed to mRNA, which has a stability of minutes to hours. During its short availability, mRNA will be translated to an amino acid chain which will be the core of a protein. The mRNA vaccines for SARS-2 will produce the Spike proteins within a cell, without all the other genes of the virus that would make somebody ill.
Were embryos aborted to create vaccines?
No, no abortion was performed for these vaccines.
- Traditional vaccines and the DNA were cultured on cell lines. Cell lines are immortalized cells that could be derived from cancer cells. Some cell lines are created in the lab by adding genes that comfort immortality to harvested cells i.e., from an abortion. This technique has been used in many modern medicines like insulin and most vaccines.
- Cell lines are not needed to produce mRNA vaccines.
Does mRNA vaccination change your genes?
No, it cannot for multiple reasons.
- It is unlikely for a variety of reasons.
- Firstly, DNA to mRNA transcription can go only one way, except for a few viruses, that have reverse transcriptase. However, a cell translating the instable mRNA might be coinfected with HIV. This is highly unlikely since most people do not have HIV infection and even in AIDS-patients, the virus does not infect muscle and skin cells.
- Secondly, even if a reverse transcriptase activity would occur in cells, it also needs an initiation site for reverse transcription and the mRNA will be lost after a few hours.
- Thirdly, DNA needs to be transported into the nucleus of cell, which does not happen
- Fourthly, DNA in the nuclus does not become integrated in DNA, because this would need specific sequences.
- Moreover, the vaccines cause a strong cellular immune response that would lead to the destruction of these cells with their DNA and mRNA.
Could the DNA vaccines be integrated in the genome?
Very unlikely
- Although the first three unlikely events for mRNA vaccines do not apply for DNA vaccines, this is still highly unlikely.
- DNA in the nuclus does not become integrated in DNA, because this would need specific sequences that are also lacking in these DNA vectors.
- Moreover, the vaccines cause a strong cellular immune response that would lead to the destruction of these cells with their DNA and mRNA.
Are the vaccines registered for use?
Yes, registration is required for any medicine to be used.
- Some people would argue that this registration is only a temporary one, which is formally true. However, this is the case for virtually every new medicine that is used, since regulatory authorities first give temporary registrations, that should be followed up for rare side effects after large scale use.
Are the vaccines safe?
Yes, much safer than risking an unprotected infection
- The vaccines which were tested prior their registrations are safe to use.
- The short-term side effects are rare, and it is highly unlikely that long-term side effects will occur. Experience with vaccination showed that vaccines that do not cause long-term side effects when they did not first cause earlier side effects.
- Vaccines do not alter the fertility or sterilize women; they might cause sterilizing immunity. Virus infection might actually cause some fertility problems in men.
- Most short-term side effects seem to be associated with the DNA vectors. This might be related to their transcription in the nucleus to mRNA, where mRNA splicing could occur to alter the protein. It is hypothesized that the rare event of splicing out transmembrane region of the protein would allow it to spread through the body and cause serious side effects in some vaccinated individuals.
Were aborted embryos used to test vaccines?
Not really.
- Medicines are tested on cell lines. Cell lines are immortalized cells that could be derived from cancer cells. Some cell lines are created in the lab by adding genes that comfort immortality to harvested cells i.e., from an abortion.
- Virtually all medicines are first tested on cell lines, prior to testing mostly in animals and ultimately testing in humans.
- Testing in humans starts with small scale studies on toxicity (phase I) and to understand more about efficacy (phase II). Prior to registration vaccines should be tested in a randomized controlled study (phase III) and show that they are effective. These steps have all been performed.