Types of Covid-19 Vaccines

This blog will emphasize the types of vaccine platforms being used for Covid-19 vaccine development.

Representative Image: Covid-19 Vaccine

Before reading this blog do consider taking a look at Inside-Out of Indian Covid-19 Vaccines Explained.

Now without wasting any further time let us dive directly,

1. Adenovirus-Based Vaccine (Viral Vector Platform)

With the ability to manipulate Adenovirus easily, scientists simply remove the E1 (sometimes both E1 and E2, or whatsoever the case be ) gene from the Adenovirus so that the virus is capable of affecting host cells but cannot replicate thereby inducing an immune response. The process of making vaccines is achieved through several recombinations. This non-replicating virus is simply called a vector.

Covid-19 Vaccines based on Viral Vector Platform,

1. Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (Known as Covishield in India)

2. Sputnik V

3. Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

4. AD5-nCOV (Convidecia) (Not much information available)

5. Sputnik Light (Recently registered on 6 May 2021)

6. GRAd-COV2

7. BBV154 ( Nasal Vaccine by Bharat Biotech, it is under development at this moment).

2. mRNA Based Vaccine

Most vaccines around the world aim to induce a weak form of the virus in your body, but this technology leaps ahead of other vaccines by introducing strand of messenger RNA (mRNA) which instruct body cells to produce similar copies of harmless virus protein (In context to Covid-19 it means "spike proteins"). Now the body itself recognizes it and produces antibodies for future infection prevention (Smart !!! 😉).

Covid-19 Vaccines based on mRNA based Platform,

1. Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

2. Moderna COVID‑19 vaccine

Since this technology is relatively new, so do consider reading the below snippet, (Credit: Moderna)

3. Inactivated vaccine

It is one of the most established vaccine development technology present today. The vaccines based on this platform simply contain the weakened form of the original pathogen. So, these weakened pathogens are introduced in the human body to develop immunity against a particular disease. Sometimes these kinds of vaccines are not suitable for people with weak immunity.

Covid-19 Vaccines based on Inactivated Vaccine Platform,

1. Covaxin (Bharat Biotech)

2. Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV

3. CoronaVac

4. WIBP-CorV (Sinopharm)

5. CoviVac

6. QazCovid-in

4. Subunit Vaccine

A subunit vaccine does not contain pathogen rather it contains multiple antigens which are infused in the body in the form of molecules mostly made up of proteins and peptides.

Covid-19 Vaccines based on Subunit Vaccine Type Platform,

1. EpiVacCorona

2. ZF2001 (ZIFIVAX)

So that's the end of today's blog, I hope you got loads of information on vaccines, and please it's my humble request that please get vaccinated if eligible because scientists have put in lots of effort to develop these, and rest assured the vaccines are safe (Please refer your local government guidelines on vaccination). And I have still not got the Covid-19 vaccine since I am below 18 years and as of now no vaccine is approved for teenagers in India but my family members have taken complete vaccination and it is extremely safe 🙂. If anything interesting in your mind do contact me via the box below, stay safe.

Disclaimer: All the above facts are presented on the basis of the information available on the respective vaccine maker's website and internet. This is to confirm that the author of ByteBlogs has not made any independent claim about any information present in this blog.