Vaccines are notoriously difficult and tricky. Let us take a brief look at the mRNA vaccine coming out this week.
1. The intent of a vaccine is to induce the production of antibodies from the adaptive immune system.
2. The adaptive path usually takes several weeks after it is presented with an antigen.
3. When the process of antibody generation is complete against an antigen then when faced with a virus expressing that antigen in the future the adaptive system has been prime to go into action.
4. However it does not mean that all virions are killed off, just the opposite, an infected person who has been immunized will have their immune system attack the virus and start to kill it off but it still persists and may be able to be contagious. So much for herd immunity.
5. But, let us go back to the initial infection. When we get infected with the virus and it starts to spread we get the innate immune system to respond almost immediately. The innate system is a sledge hammer as compared to the scalpel.
6. Macrophages may pick up the virus, present some protein to a natural killer cell, NK, and then the NK is like a Rambo cell, hacking and killing its way about. It is sending out a massive amount of cytokines and the like in a rapid fire attempt to stop this infection. Think of a common cold and the runny nose and sore throat.
7. Some times it works but sometimes one gets a massive immune response attacking other organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys.
8. Thus the mRNA is the antigen we hope creates an antibody. But while doing this the innate system is not sitting idle. It may see this antigen as an assault and return in kind.
9. Thus, long term we may expect innate immune responses which can result in damage.
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