Vaccines and temperature

2020/12/02 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Osasuna
• Medikuntza
• COVID-19

The first component is the genetic material, the most important, which affects the virus. It is a type of RNA, RNA messenger. The virus needs RNA to produce proteins. This RNA contains accurate information for the production of the protein that allows it to be associated with our cells. Then, if we give it something similar, changing a little, the virus will not get to produce well that protein that infects our cells. Therefore, the strategy of these vaccines is to give that imitative RNA to the virus. However, it is an unstable genetic material. Among other things, it gets rid of the heat and does not work.

The second component is lipids. Fats. The messenger RNA we give to the virus should be protected for injection. Thus, this RNA is trapped in a capsule formed by lipids within the vaccine. When the vaccine reaches our cells, the lipids capsule breaks and releases the RNA for their work.But not all lipids play the same with the temperature. For example, oil is liquid and pork fat is solid at room temperature. As the same happens with these lipids. Some better endure heat and others worse.

We do not have much data, but the components they have used in Pfizer and Moderno vaccines (RNA and lipids) are not exactly the same and do not behave the same with temperature. Therefore, the first must be preserved at 80 degrees below zero and the second at about 20 degrees below zero. Otherwise the components are lost. Get rid of it.

And the Oxford vaccine, what?

This vaccine should also be kept cold, but at a much higher temperature, stored between 2 and 8 degrees.

The question is that it uses a real virus, an adenovirus. The virus is disabled, does not produce any disease, but can cause a matorrinfection that causes the response of our immune system. That is his strategy. We create antibodies against this adenovirus that serve us largely against the COVID coronavirus (with an approximate efficiency of 70%). Adenovirus is a virus that exists by itself, so its own structure gives stability to the temperature. Greater stability, at least, than that which has a piece of RNA embedded in the lipid capsule. The cold that generates a domestic refrigerator is enough to keep this vaccine operational.

This scientist is very interesting, but not only scientific. The need for low temperature at the time of the distribution of the vaccine makes the vaccine more or less expensive. Therefore, it is a very important issue.

We're talking a lot about the vaccine. But be careful! We still don't have vaccines! Agencies that still have control of drugs have not accepted any. Vaccines have not yet been fully analyzed. Therefore, be sure that we do not have vaccines and that this pandemic will not end next week or next month.