COVID-19 vaccine
COVID-19 vaccine
The COVID-19 vaccine (/koʊvɪd naɪnˈtiːn væksin/) is a type of vaccine developed to provide acquired immunity against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Etymology
The term "COVID-19 vaccine" is derived from the name of the disease it prevents, COVID-19, which is an acronym for "coronavirus disease 2019". The word "vaccine" originates from the Latin vaccinus, meaning "of or from the cow", due to the early practice of using cowpox to immunize humans against smallpox.
Types of COVID-19 vaccines
There are several types of COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized for emergency use, including mRNA vaccines, vector vaccines, and protein subunit vaccines.
- mRNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, work by teaching cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response.
- Vector vaccines, like the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine and AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, use a harmless virus (not the coronavirus that causes COVID-19) to deliver a piece of the virus's genetic material into cells in the body, which then produce a protein that triggers an immune response.
- Protein subunit vaccines, such as the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, include harmless pieces of the virus that cause COVID-19 instead of the entire germ. Once vaccinated, our immune system recognizes that the proteins don’t belong in the body and begins building an immune response.
Related terms
- Herd immunity: A form of indirect protection from infectious disease that can occur with some diseases when a sufficient percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through vaccination or previous infections, thereby reducing the likelihood of infection for individuals who lack immunity.
- Vaccine efficacy: The percentage reduction of disease in a vaccinated group of people compared to an unvaccinated group, under optimal conditions.
- Vaccine hesitancy: Delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccination services.
- Vaccine passport: A document that proves an individual has been vaccinated against a virus, in this case, the COVID-19 virus.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on COVID-19 vaccine
- Wikipedia's article - COVID-19 vaccine
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