- [Presenter] There's a lot of excitement right now
around the record speed vaccines for COVID-19,
some of which are already starting distribution
in parts of the world.
But given that these are mRNA vaccines
are relatively new technology
that has not been widely used before.
We wanted to explain how they work and what happens
to your body from the moment that needle touches your skin.
- Like vaccines, we're used to seeing these vaccines
will be injected into the upper muscle of your arm
but unlike typical vaccines
which introduce inactive or weakened forms of a virus,
these will release genetic material called messenger RNA.
So what exactly does this mRNA do?
Well in a regular cell of your body,
you have DNA inside of the nucleus and this DNA stores
all the information and instructions important
to the functioning of your cells your body
and ultimately makes you you.
Inside your cell is machinery that reads through your DNA
and transcribes it into mRNA
which then leaves the nucleus and goes into your cytoplasm.
And it's here that the ribosomes
and yourselves read the RNA and depending
on the specific code to build a series of amino acids
which fold in on themselves to make proteins
which keep you alive and functioning.
This process is known as translation.
In fact, it's this process that viruses take advantage
of in the first place.
They insert their own genetic information into you
and then your cell machinery unwittingly starts taking
that information and building proteins
to help create more viruses.
- So back to the needle,
the mRNA that is being injected into you
from the vaccine also carries genetic instructions
but in this case, it's only coding
for one small part of the virus
instead of the whole thing.
You've probably seen SARS CoV2 represented like this
with the spikes on it.
And it's this spike protein which on its own is harmless
that the vaccines mRNA codes for.
The mRNA makes its way into the cytoplasm of your cells
where the ribosomes read the information
and start to create the spikeD proteins.
Once the protein is made,
it goes to the cell membrane and then your cell breaks down
and destroys the injected mRNA instructions.
- So what good does having a tiny fragment of viral spike
in your body do?
Well, it gives your body and more importantly,
your immune system, a preview of what the virus looks like
without causing disease.
Suddenly your antibodies will notice it and go,
well, this doesn't belong here
which triggers an immune response to recognize
and prepare your body for the real thing
without ever having to come in contact
with the actual virus itself.
Your immune system essentially gets a headstart
by creating powerful antibodies that can neutralize
and kill the real virus.
And this antibody memory is stored in your B cells
so that if you're ever infected in the future
with the SARS CoV 2 virus, your body now has the upper hand.
This is known as an adaptive immune response.
Your body has already seen these spike proteins before
and therefore it already knows what to do.
Essentially, these mRNA vaccines allow your body
to protect itself from a future infection
without ever having to risk the consequences
of getting the COVID-19.
- So why haven't mRNA vaccines been used before?
While they are relatively new researchers
have actually been experimenting with them for decades
but in the past they've been very unstable.
Enzymes in your body would break down the mRNA quickly
so they needed to be packaged well.
The ones being released now have the mRNA encased
in lipid nanoparticles which essentially protect
the mRNA from being degraded.
Since there are more unstable than other types of vaccines,
they have to be kept cold.
For example, the Pfizer vaccine
it has to be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius
and at normal refrigerated temperatures
can only last five days.
Of course, a global pandemic has certainly increased
the funding and resources going towards
these types of vaccines which has helped
to accelerate their development.
- What makes these vaccines so appealing
is that unlike other vaccines,
they can be made in a lab with readily available materials
and actually made much quicker than other types of vaccines.
Instead of fully developing non-infectious viruses
and then injecting them, these mRNA vaccines
can sort of pass many hurdles by using your own body
in an ingenious way.
It's also far more cost-effective to create mRNA molecules
rather than the proteins themselves
and also a lot more scalable
which is helpful when we are in a global pandemic waiting
for a vaccine.
- So is it safe?
And given that it's a relatively new technology,
should you be concerned at all?
Well, that's what these initial trial stages have been for.
Not only to test whether or not they work
and cause immunity but to make sure
they have minimal side effects.
As of now around 70,000 people
have been given these vaccines
with no serious concerns,
a caveat being that the full research
hasn't been published yet as of recording this video.
But it's important to remember that just
because it's safe doesn't mean
there won't be any soreness or pain.
Some recipients did report aches and pains
and as of now you'll need to receive two shots
to ensure efficacy.
I saw a really great analogy by the professor Shane Crotty
who works in vaccine research and he said,
"It's not unlike going to the gym and getting exercise
"and really sore muscles.
"A bit of pain can be a positive sign
"that good things are happening.
"Sometimes you have to earn your immunity,
"just like you have to earn those biceps you wanted so bad."
- We know you've been asking about these vaccines a lot,
we've also had our questions.
So we hope that all this information was useful
and concise and educational for you
'cause it does sort of help make things
seem less unknown and scary in a very strange time.
- Thank you all so much for watching.
If you want to hear more about vaccines,
our podcast is on YouTube.
You can check that out, we have a few episodes on vaccine.
- We gossip about vaccines to be honest.
- You would love to see gossip about vaccines.
Otherwise make sure you like this video, subscribe
and we'll see you next time for some more science, see you.