Messenger RNA Vaccines Vs. Protein Antigen Vaccines

Vaccines prevent diseases that can be dangerous, or even deadly. Vaccines greatly reduce the risk of infection by working with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop immunity to disease. This fact sheet explains how the body fights infection and how vaccines work to protect people by producing immunity

HOW VACCINES WORK

A vaccine works by training the immune system to recognize and combat pathogens, either viruses or bacteria. To do this, certain molecules from the pathogen must be introduced into the body to trigger an immune response. 

These molecules are called antigens, and are present on all viruses and bacteria. By injecting these antigens into the body, the immune system can safely learn to recognize them as hostile invaders, produce antibodies, and remember then for the future. If the bacteria or virus reappears, the immune system will recognize the antigens immediately and attack aggressively well before the pathogen can spread and cause sickness. 

TYPES OF VACCINES

  • Live Attenuated
  • Inactivated 
  • Subunit/Conjugate 
  • Toxoid (bacterial target)
  • DNA or RNA
  • Recombinant Vector 

TOP COVID-19 VACCINE CANDIDATES 

  • Moderna –  RNA
  • Pfizer/BioNtech– RNA
  • AstraZeneca – Recombinant Vector
  • Janssen – Recombinant Vector
  • Novavax –  Protein Subunit
  • GSK/Sanofi – Recombinant Protein 

HOW THESE VACCINES DIFFER

PROTEIN BASED SUBUNIT vaccines present an isolated protein from the pathogen to the immune system.  No viral particles are included. (Example - influenza)

RECOMBINANT VECTOR vaccines are replicating viruses engineered to carry extra genes derived from a pathogen— these extra genes produce the proteins we want to generate an immune response against.   (Example Hepatitis B)

RNA vaccines introduce an mRNA sequence into the body.  This sequence provides instructions, telling the cell machinery what antigens to build.  Once produced, the antigen is recognized by the immune system, preparing it to fight the real infection.

WHY ARE RNA VACCINES UNIQUE?

Experts refer to mRNA technology as “21st Century Science” with the potential to completely change how future vaccines are made. Unlike conventional vaccines that require large amounts of the virus to produce each batch of vaccine, only a small amount of virus is required for gene sequencing and vaccine testing with RNA vaccines. In addition, RNA vaccines appear to create a stronger immune response to certain viruses and diseases than traditional vaccines. Another advantage of mRNA vaccine technology is its production speed.  Experimental batches take roughly one week to develop.  Conventional vaccines can take months.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINKS BELOW:

MESSENGER RNA

  • MESSENGER RNA DEFINITION
  • MODERNA: WHAT DOES MRNA DO?
  • PFIZER/BIONTECH: TECHNOLOGY AT THE FOREFRONT DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC
SELECT SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE ON mRNA FOR VACCINE DEVELOPMENT
SELECT SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE ON ANTIGEN VACCINES