COVID-19 Vaccine: Traditional & Latest Strategy

Sarwan W. Bradosty
Department of General Biology
Cihan University-Erbil

The biological preparation that offers acquired immunity to a certain infectious disease called a vaccine. A vaccine typically comprises an agent that looks like a disease-causing microorganism and is usually made from debilitated or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its superficial proteins. The cause enhances the body's immune system to identify the cause as a hazard, kill it, and to more recognize and rescind any of the microorganisms related to that cause as it may come upon in the future.

It is worth mentioning that Coronaviruses have influenced two other current epidemics, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China in 2002, and middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS) that first began in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Scientists worked on both cases throughout working on vaccines which were later postponed when the outbreaks got contained.

In spring 2020, a company named Novavax which is based in Maryland-USA has been started working on the modification of vaccines for SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, the company also revealed that it has several candidates which they are good to go for entering human trials. Another company is Moderna has also worked on the MERS virus which was carried out at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland.

In fact, COVID-19 is the name of the disease which is caused by SARS-CoV-2. The Republic of China has conducted certain and significant work via sharing the sequence in the beginning of this January, and allowing researchers around the world to study, grow, and making progress for live viruses and focusing in order to understand how it invades human cells and eventually makes people unwell.

There is a question which many people come up with asking whether the current pandemic coronavirus is the same as the previous coronavirus or not so the answer here is: The similarity of genetic material between SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV is around 85% Both viruses composes of (RNA) encapsulated with spherical protein which is covered in spikes.

Conventionally, immunization has been developed throughout using live, weakened forms of the virus, or part or whole of the virus after being inactivated by heat or utilizing chemicals. However, scientists believe that, based on their research, these methods have disadvantages, and the life form can continue to evolve in the host.

There are some of the COVID-19 vaccine projects that are utilizing tried-and-tested approaches. However, other COVID-19 vaccine projects are using the latest technology. One off the most current strategy which Novavax company is using, for instance – builds a “recombinant” vaccine. Which is extracting the gene that responsible for the protein spike located on the surface of SARS-CoV-2, that used to induce an immune reaction in humans, and attaching into the bacterium genome or yeast genome, growing these microorganisms to produce a huge amount of the protein.

Other newer approaches bypass the protein and construct vaccines from the genetic instruction itself. This item goes to Moderna and another Boston company, CureVac, that are making COVID-19 vaccines out of mRNA.

There are three phases of clinical trials to be taken place. First, a few dozen healthy volunteers are involving, for safety testing the vaccine, monitoring for adverse influences. Secondly, getting involved with several hundred people, often in a part of the world got affected by the disease, looks at how effective the vaccine is. Third, this does is similar in several thousands of individuals.

Crucially, utmost vaccinologists, think that it’s not easy to prepare this vaccine for less than one calendar year.