Corona vaccines without mRNA technology

After the mRNA vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna in particular came into the public eye, other corona vaccines are based on already known vaccination methods. These alternatives to the mRNA vaccine have already been approved or are in the starting blocks.

In addition to BioNTech/Pfizer and  Moderna  , other manufacturers are working on corona vaccines. These are the corona vaccines without mRNA technology and this is how they work.

Inactivated vaccines against Corona

The inactivated vaccines against  Sars-CoV-2  are currently being examined by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and in some countries the vaccines have already received emergency approval. This is how the inactivated vaccines against the  corona virus work :

• The original type of the corona virus is artificially reproduced in cell cultures in the laboratory, then cleaned and inactivated using a chemical compound.
• Depending on the vaccine manufacturer, a certain auxiliary substance (adjuvant) is added, which strengthens the vaccine effect.
• When a person receives the vaccine, the body recognizes the inactivated virus as foreign. The  immune system  produces antibodies and begins activating helper cells.
• The vaccination thus achieves an immune response. If you later come into contact with the virus, the immune system recognizes the foreign body and begins to specifically defend itself against it.

These inactivated vaccines could soon be approved:

• CoronaVac from Sinovac:  According to the company, the vaccine is 79 percent effective against severe courses. Previous studies give it an effectiveness of between 50 and 90 percent. The vaccine is already being tested by the European Medicines Agency, but approval has not yet been granted.
• VLA 2001 from Valneva:  Preclinical studies also indicate that the vaccine is highly effective. So far, however, no exact dates are known. The vaccine manufacturer plans to submit an application for approval in the first half of 2022.
• WIBP-CorV (Sinopharm):  The vaccine has been approved in China since February. Emergency approval is granted in other countries. The effectiveness against symptomatic courses is 72.8 percent, against severe courses the vaccine should protect 100 percent.
• BBIBP- CorV (Sinopharm):  The Chinese vaccine received approval from the World Health Organization (WHO) and is used primarily in poorer countries. Market approval has so far been granted in China, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and the Seychelles. This vaccine is also said to be highly effective (79 percent).

It may take until the summer of 2022 for inactivated vaccines to be approved by the EMA in Europe. Intensive studies and scientific work on vaccination reactions, side effects and the effectiveness of the vaccines still have to be carried out before then.

Artificially produced protein vaccine against Corona

The spike protein is the part of the coronavirus that enables the pathogen to dock onto human cells. It acts as an antigen in the context of vaccination. Antigens can be various substances (proteins) from viruses and bacteria, which the immune system perceives as foreign bodies and triggers a reaction.

The corona vaccine from Sanofi (Vidprevtyn) is based on an artificially produced protein mix that contains, among other things, the replica spike protein. The vaccine is already being reviewed by the EMA and is also said to be highly effective against severe courses. The vaccine contains an artificial spike protein.

Vector vaccines

In addition to  mRNA vaccines  , the corona vaccines from  AstraZeneca  and  Johnson  & Johnson have already been approved. Due to various vaccination reactions, the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) recommends these corona vaccines for people over the age of 60, but not for younger people. With the vector vaccine, the information of the spike protein is in the envelope of a harmless virus (vector).

This vector contains a blueprint for the spike protein. As a result, the body produces the spike protein itself, and the immune system recognizes the antigen and begins to produce antibodies. Here, too, the immune system is reactivated in subsequent contact with Sars-CoV-2 and defends itself in a targeted manner.