Should You Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?

I have been getting this question a lot from patients, friends, and family members.  Instead of sounding like a broken record, I put together this blog post to (hopefully) answer the majority of questions you have. 

The two main vaccines on the market are ones made by Pfizer and Moderna.  Both use mRNA technology – an entirely new way of creating immunity via injection.  We’ll get to what that means in a moment.  But first:

In other vaccines, attenuated (weakened / killed) viruses or bacteria are injected into the body.  In response, the immune system views these foreign substances as pathogens and creates antibodies against them.  These antibodies tag the foreign substance for destruction.  Imagine an antibody like an arrow with a suction cup on the end.  This suction cup only sticks to certain regions of the pathogen.  In the case of bacteria, it could stick to the foot, the torso, or the head of the bacteria.  Virus antibodies are very similar.  If the virus changes or the body is introduced to a slightly different bacteria, new antibodies need to be made. 

mRNA is like a ticker tape string of molecules.  It serves as the genetic blueprint to make proteins within our cells.  We have very specific cellular machinery that reads this ticker tape and produces a protein.  In the case of SARS-CoV2, there are several different fragments of mRNA that code for the replication of the virus.  One of these mRNA strands codes for a very important protein, called the Spike Protein.  The spike proteins are the red globules featured on the image below.  They are vital for the Virus to gain entry into the host (human) cells.

The mRNA contained within the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines code for ONLY this spike protein.  When the mRNA enters our cells, our own cellular machinery makes many copies of this spike protein and release it into the bloodstream.  Without the other components of the virus, the spike protein does nothing – it won’t infect us or give us COVID.  Instead, it allows our immune system to recognize that this protein is foreign and prompts the production of antibodies – the suction-cup arrows. 

The presence of this spike protein also trains specific immune cells, called T-cells, to recognize and destroy the spike protein directly.  The T-cells have a “memory” that allows them to more quickly destroy this spike protein in the future upon repeat exposure.  T-cell memory is one of the main mechanisms of long-term immunity from the vaccine. 

If someone then gets infected with SARS-CoV2, the immune system has already seen the spike protein, has produced plenty of antibodies to neutralize it, has T-cell memory against it, and can thus destroy the virus before it has a chance to replicate and cause clinical disease.   

Many other vaccines contain chemicals known as “adjuvants.”  These adjuvants are things like formaldehyde, thimerosal (mercury), detergents, and aluminum.  These are added for two reasons: 1. To prevent colonization of bacteria within the vaccines; 2. To increase the antigenicity of vaccinations.  The enhanced antigenicity creates a heightened immune response that often translates to longer immunity from the vaccine.   However, many studies have demonstrated the detrimental effects these chemicals can have in our body.  I have seen firsthand the side effects and developmental regression this can cause.  The issue of adjuvants is a discussion for another time. 

One of the biggest features of the COVID vaccine is that it contains none of those toxic chemicals.  Instead, its only preservative is temperature.  The Pfizer vaccine must be kept at -70°C and the Moderna at -20°C.  With the exception of a couple benign ingredients, they are both essentially composed of the same components: mRNA, salts, sugar, and lipid (fat) nano-particles needed for better absorption into the cells.  Of note: The Moderna vaccine contains Tromethamine, which is an NSAID; very similar to Ibuprofen. 

Though both of these vaccines are very benign, it is still possible to have side effects associated with injection.  Most commonly this is just injection site pain or soreness.  Some may feel fatigued or get a headache, but this usually resolves in a day. 

Also worth noting is that one of the nano-lipid particles is PEG-2000 (polyethylene glycol-2000).  This fat helps protect the mRNA within the vaccine and assists in helping the mRNA enter our cells to be coded into the spike protein.  While this ingredient is benign in most people and present in many food products & cosmetics (Miralax is PEG-3350), it can cause some allergic reactions in those who are sensitive. 

The FDA advises against the vaccine if anyone has had an allergic or severe reaction to vaccinations in the past, or has a known allergy to PEG or polysorbate-80.  For everyone else, I highly recommend getting this one and helping make COVID a thing of the past.