Currently there are two approved vaccines to SARS-CoV-2 being distributed globally that rely
on new messenger RNA technology, one developed by ModernaTX and the other by
Pfizer/BioNTech. Discuss how these vaccines elicit an anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune response,
from mobilizing innate immunity to generating adaptive T and B cell memory.
Suggested articles for reading are:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa2022483
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2034577
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2798-3
In your paper, you should answer/discuss the following questions:
- How do the two vaccines differ from other vaccines that have been or are currently being
used to immunize against other pathogens (eg. mumps, pertussis, small pox, varicella
zoster, etc)? - How does a vaccine work? Explain why is it preferable to be vaccinated rather than be
infected with the pathogen itself? - Distinguish between vaccines that induce sterilizing immunity versus vaccines that
prevent disease but do not prevent infection. Do these mRNA-vaccines induce sterilizing
immunity?
Sample Solution