LIFESTYLE

How do the vaccines work?

Vaccines enable our body’s natural defences to develop immunity to the virus which causes the illness, without us falling prey to the virus. When you get a vaccine, your immune system is left with “memory” T-lymphocytes as well as B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that virus in the future.

What are the different variants of vaccines?

mRNA vaccines

mRNA vaccines contain just the right amount of genetic material from the Covid-19 virus that triggers our bodies to begin making viral proteins, but not the whole virus. After our cells duplicate the protein, they destroy the genetic material from the vaccine. Henceforth, our immune system becomes attuned to recognising that the protein is an unwelcome invader, and will attack the virus in future.

Inactivated vaccine technology

Inactivated vaccine technology, also known as protein subunit vaccines, employs weakened or inactive viral particles to stimulate our body, triggering an immune response to the Covid-19 virus. Our bodies will then commence manufacturing T-lymphocytes and antibodies. Memory cells will recognise and fight the virus if infections occur in future.

 Pfizer-BioNTech

Name of vaccine: BNT162b2

Origin: Germany and the USA

Type: mRNA

Number of doses required: 2 shots, 21 days apart

Recommended for: People aged 16 years and older

Effectiveness: 95%

Side effects: Chills, tiredness, headache.

Approved for use: USA, United Kingdom, Canada, EU states, Qatar, South Korea

Storage temperature: -75 degrees Celsius

Moderna

Name of vaccine: mRNA-1273

Origin: USA

Type: mRNA

Number of doses required: 2 shots, 28 days apart

Recommended for: People aged 18 years and older

Side effects: Chills, tiredness, headache.

Approved for use: USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Qatar, South Korea

Storage temperature: -20 degrees Celsius up to six months

Sinovac

Name of vaccine: CoronaVac

Origin: Beijing, China

Type: Inactivated vaccine

Number of doses required: 2

Recommended for: TBC

Effecetiveness: Phase 3 efficacy trials in different countries have had varying results.

Side effects: Minor fatigue and discomfort.

Approved for use: China, Indonesia

Storage temperature: 2-8 degrees Celsius