COVID-19 Vaccine Facts.

The COVID-19 vaccines currently being developed in the United States do not use the live virus that causes COVDI -19. The goal of the vaccine is to teach the immune system how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. This process can sometimes cause symptoms, these symptoms are normal and are an indication that the body is building immunity. It takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity after the vaccination. The vaccine needs time to provide protection, it is possible to be infected just prior to or just after the vaccination and become sick.

Vaccines currently in the United States will not cause you to test positive on a viral test. If your body develops an immune response you may test positive on some antibody test. The antibody test indicates that you have had a previous infection and have developed protection against the virus. It is still being studied on how the vaccine may affect the antibody test results.

Natural immunity differs from person to person, so far evidence suggest natural immunity may not last long. Reinfection is possible with COVID -19. Patients may be advised to get the COVID-19 vaccine even if they have been previously sick with COVID-19. It is not known how long immunity will last by vaccination until more data is collected. Natural and vaccination immunity are both important aspects of COVID-19 that is still being studied. mRNA vaccine stands for messenger ribonucleic acid. mRNA provides instructions for how to make a “spike protein” of SARS-COV-2. (mRNA gives the cells instructions to make protein). Maderna vaccine - the theory is – it is injected into recipients arm → travels inside cells → mRNA gives cells instructions to produce the spike protein → cells display spike proteins on their surface & the cell breaks down the mRNA instructions & gets rid of them (i.e. the mRNA does not stay in your body forever and cause mutations) → immune system recognizes foreign protein & should attack the spike protein & learn how to destroy the virus just as if the patient were actually infected. (aka teaches our cells how to make protein that triggers immune response inside our body) Pfizer & BioNTech (BNT162b2) vaccine: a lipid nanoparticle-formulated nucleoside-modified mRNA that encodes the receptor binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Has the same mechanism of action mentioned for the Moderna above; however, this vaccine has mRNA that encodes for the receptor binding domain instead of the actual spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 as seen in Moderna.

The mRNA from a COVID-19 vaccine never enters the nucleus of the cell, this is where DNA is kept. Because it never enters the nucleus of the cell it does not affect or interact with DNA in any way. mRNA works with the body’s natural defenses to develop immunity to the COVDI-19 virus.