Taking a COVID-19 vaccine remains the most secure way to keep yourself safe against the ravaging Corona virus.
The world experienced tremendous changes since 2020 largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We all thought by the end of that year, the pandemic would have been blown away. But it is our old habits that were blown away for good, as mask wearing, regular handwashing and other COVID-19 safety protocols became the new normal.
Big ups to all the medical professionals and scientists that have kept the world going during the pandemic. Their effort in keeping the hospitals running and the laboratories functioning lead to the discovery of the COVID-19 vaccines we have today.
What is a vaccine?
In simple terms, ‘a vaccine is a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies to provide immunity against one or several diseases’. Vaccines are prepared from the causative agents of a disease, its products, or a synthetic substitute and treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease.
Types of COVID-19 Vaccines?
As at January 2021, there were four (4) major types of vaccines that had gone through clinical trials namely:
- Protein subunit- Protein subunit vaccines use fragments of protein from the disease-causing virus to trigger protective immunity against it
- Viral vector- This is the use of a modified version of a different virus (the vector) to deliver important instructions to our cells.
- Nucleic acid (RNA and DNA)- Nucleic acid vaccines use genetic material from a disease-causing virus, used to trigger protective immunity against the disease.
- Whole virus- Whole virus vaccines use a weakened or deactivated version of the disease-causing virus to trigger protective immunity against it.
Each of the vaccines protects people by producing immunity in a slightly different way. All the vaccines try to help the recipients achieve immunity to the virus, while some might also be able to stop the transmission. They do so by stimulating an immune response to an antigen, a molecule found on the virus. In the case of COVID-19, the antigen is typically the characteristic spike protein found on the surface of the virus, which it normally uses to invade human cells.
Now that you know more about the different types of COVID-19 Vaccines, please proceed to the nearest primary health centre of Hospital to get vaccinated. Your Health is your wealth. FirstBank is committed to building a healthy and a wealthy community. Talk to us today to discover various ways you can take advantage of the rich array of products and services we offer.Visit www.firstbanknigeria.com today!
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