Covid Vaccine

 

Covid Vaccine

 

If you are among the many wondering “what’s actually in it?” and, “is it safe to receive the injection?”, keep reading.

COVID Vaccine Ingredients

There are two COVID-19 messenger-ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines currently authorized for emergent use in the United States: the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna vaccines. A third vaccine developed by Johnson &Johnson (J&J) Janssen uses a viral vector platform. Conventional vaccines rely on weakened and inactivated pathogens or a fragment of the pathogen to trigger an immune response. In contrast, the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines use a new approach by which mRNA is delivered into our cells to provide the genetic instructions for our own cells to “temporarily” ma

 ke a “specific” viral protein (the coronavirus spike protein) that triggers an immune response. The J&J COVID-19 vaccine is a type of “replication-incompetent vector vaccine.” This vaccine also contains the genetic instructions to express a stabilized coronavirus spike protein, but instead of mRNA, these instructions are delivered via DNA stored inside a modified vector virus (Adenovirus 26). This adenovirus has been engineered to enter the human cells and deliver the desired genetic information without replicating itself or causing illness. Once inside the cells, the DNA encoding for the coronavirus spike protein can be read by the cell and transcribed into mRNA. At this point, the J&J vaccine acts similarly to the mRNA vaccines.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is made of the following ingredients:

• mRNA – Also known as messenger ribonucleic acid, mRNA is the only active ingredient in the vaccine. The mRNA molecules contain the genetic material that provide instructions for our body on how to make a viral protein that triggers an immune response within our bodies. The immune response is what causes our bodies to make the antibodies needed to protect us from getting infected if exposed to the coronavirus.

There are rumors that mRNA vaccines will alter our DNA because the RNA molecule can convert information stored in DNA into proteins. That’s simply, not true. It’s critical to note that the mRNA vaccines never enter the nucleus of the cell, where our DNA is stored. After injection, the mRNA from the vaccine is released into the cytoplasm of the cells. Once the viral protein is made and on the surface of the cell, mRNA is broken down and the body permanently gets rid of it, therefore making it impossible to change our DNA.

• Lipids – The following lipids are in the new COVID vaccine. Their main role is to protect the mRNA and provide somewhat of a “greasy” exterior that helps the mRNA slide inside the cells.
• ((4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis
• (2-hexyldecanoate), 2 [(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide
• 1,2-Distearoyl-snglycero-3- phosphocholine
• cholesterol

• Salts – The following salts are included in the Pfizer vaccine and help balance the acidity in your body.
• potassium chloride
• monobasic potassium phosphate
• sodium chloride
• dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate

• Sugar – Basic table sugar, also known as sucrose, can also be found in the new COVID vaccine. This ingredient helps the molecules maintain their shape during freezing.

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine is made of the following ingredients:

• mRNA – Like the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, Moderna’s also uses mRNA technology to build antibodies against COVID-19.

• Lipids – The Moderna vaccine also requires lipids to help deliver the mRNA to the cells.
• SM-102
• 1,2-dimyristoyl-rac-glycero3-methoxypolyethylene glycol-2000 [PEG2000-DMG]
• cholesterol
• 1,2-distearoyl-snglycero-3-phosphocholine [DSPC]

The remaining ingredients (below), including acids, acid stabilizers, salt and sugar all work together to maintain the stability of the vaccine after it’s produced.

• Acids
• Acetic acid
• Acid Stabilizers
• Tromethamine & Tromethamine hydrochloride
• Salts
• Sodium acetate
• Sugar
• Sucrose

The Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is made of the following ingredients:

• Recombinant, replication-incompetent adenovirus type 26 expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein:a modified and harmless version of a different virus (Adenovirus 26) is used as a “vector” to deliverthe DNA gene sequence to produce the coronavirus spike protein. Once the modified adenovirus vaccine enters into the cells, the body of the virus essentially disintegrates and the DNA material within it travels into the nucleus of the human cell where it is transcribed into mRNA. The coronavirus spike protein is then produced and displayed on the cell’s surface, prompting the immune system to begin producing antibodies and activating T-cells to fight off what it thinks is an infection.

The Adenovirus 26 in the J&J vaccine does not replicate, and like the mRNA vaccines, does not change our genetic code.

• Acids
• citric acid monohydrate
• Salts
• trisodium citrate dihydrate
• Sugars
• 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HBCD)
• polysorbate-80, sodium chloride
• Other ingredients
• ethanol

That’s it!

“Overall, the main ingredients in the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are very similar, and all three vaccines were found to be safe and efficacious in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 disease in rigorously conducted clinical trials. These COVID-19 vaccines are safe and went through the same rigorous testing process as other vaccines before being approved for emergent use in the United States. Although local and systemic side effects have been reported, as is the case for many other medical interventions, the risk of lacking protection against COVID-19 and developing severe disease far exceeds those posed by the vaccine itself. ” says Juan Ravell, M.D., division chief of allergy and immunology at Hackensack University Medical Center. “These ingredients are safe and the development of these COVID-19 vaccines marks a huge step towards acquiring herd immunity and the end of this pandemic.”

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The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.

Daniel Varga, M.D.

COVID-19 booster shots are now being offered.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the use of an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) for those who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, and health officials intend to make them available to the general public starting the week of September 20, pending FDA and CDC review. Plans for additional doses of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) shot are forthcoming, once more data is collected and analyzed.

We connected with Hackensack Meridian Health’s chief physician executive, Daniel Varga, M.D., to talk through why we need booster shots now and what you should know.

Why do immunocompromised people need boosters?

An immunocompromised person has a weakened immune system. Your immune system is a combination of your cells, organs and proteins that work in tandem to protect your body from unwelcome intruders like viruses, bacteria, parasites and toxins.

If your immune system is compromised, it can impact your ability to fight off infections and disease, including COVID-19.

The COVID-19 vaccines utilize our immune system to fight off the virus – the vaccine provides your body with the instructions on how to recognize and destroy COVID-19 to prevent it from multiplying. For immunodeficient patients, you may not have as strong of a response to the vaccine as someone without deficiencies, thus the need for a boost.

Does everyone need a COVID booster shot?

For the public, it is currently unknown how long immune protection lasts from the vaccines. Developed antibodies may decrease over time, weakening your protection against COVID and emerging variants; a booster shot will help reinvigorate that protection.

It is important to note, data collected has shown that protection against infection may decrease over time, however the vaccine remains very effective in preventing hospitalizations and death. As time passes, you may be more susceptible to catching COVID-19, but if you’re vaccinated your symptoms are expected to be less severe.

This is not the first vaccine that requires a booster – for example, every year there is a new flu vaccine, and it is recommended to get a tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) booster every 10 years.

Does this mean the vaccine isn’t effective?

No. The COVID-19 vaccine is effective and advisable. The vaccine is proven to protect people from getting severly ill, being hospitalized or dying from COVID.

For the immunocompromised, a COVID-19 booster will increase your immunity if your immune system did not respond as strongly to the first or second dose. For the general public, a booster would help you stay protected as your immunity wanes over time.

Who is considered to be moderately to severely immunocompromised? 

The FDA has authorized a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to certain immunocompromised populations, specifically people who have:

• Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response

Can I get a COVID booster shot right now?

As of right now, only those who are immunocompromised are able to get a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The FDA and CDC’s recommendation for the immunocompromised is that the booster be given at least 28 days after the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. There is no current recommendation for those who received the J&J vaccine.

Pending approval from the FDA and CDC, booster shots are slated to become available to the public (to those who are 18 and older) the week of September 20. It is advised that all who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines should receive a booster eight months after they receive their second shot.

The duration of a vaccine’s effectiveness depends on the vaccine and an individual’s immune response. Researchers are continually monitoring the immunity in those who have received the COVID-19 vaccines.

Editor comment:

I pass to you this article as general information only to see that we are confronting to some kind of experimental vaccine with no data instead of the classical vaccines used in the past.

With affection,

Ruben