On December 3, Facebook said it would delete articles containing misleading statements or conspiracy theories regarding the ingredients of the COVID-19 vaccine.
There were even rumors that Bill Gates placed tracking microchips in the vaccines, or a glowing organic from fireflies whose presence would make people think of evil things. As such, there was a demand to check if only the approved list of vaccine ingredients make it to the shots.
What is on the official list of ingredients? An elderly UK woman was the first person outside of a study to get the newly licensed vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech. The most comprehensive disclosures about the latest vaccine composition have been revealed because of the regulatory decision over the past week approving said vaccine for emergency use in the US.
SAVANNAH, GA - DECEMBER 15: A nurse shows off a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine outside of the Chatham County Health Department on December 15, 2020 in Savannah, Georgia. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp was on hand to witness initial administering of vaccines in the state.
The mRNA
The Pfizer vaccine is the first on the business to contain real genetic knowledge from a virus through messenger RNA (mRNA), a sort of molecule typically engineered to bring copies of genetic instructions across a cell to direct protein assembly. Imagine an mRNA bearing orders like a long ticker. It's very fragile. That's why the vaccine from Pfizer has to be stored at about -100 °F (-73 °C) until it's applied.
The latest vaccine incorporates an RNA sequence extracted from the virus itself. It causes cells to develop the coronavirus's large "spike" protein that the pathogen uses to glomerate through the cells of a human and obtain entrance. On its own, the spike is pretty harmless without the remainder of the virus. Yet the body always responds to it. This is what leaves you immunized and, if the virus shows up, you are primed to repel the true virus.
To be aware, the mRNA in the vaccine is not exactly the same as the things in your body. This is because anything that doesn't belong there would be attempted to get rid of the body. To stop that, some of the mRNA building blocks have been replaced by what is considered as "modified nucleosides".
Pfizer, though, is hanging back a bit. The spike gene sequence may be changed in minor ways for improved results through means that involve swapping letters. It is not believed that Pfizer has said precisely what series it uses or what nucleosides have been changed. That indicates that the shot's content could not be 100% publicly announced.
Lipids
Like the one from Moderna, the Pfizer vaccine utilizes lipid nanoparticles to enclose the RNA. Basically, the nanoparticles are tiny greasy spheres that shield and support the mRNA slide within cells.
These particles are likely about 100 nanometers long. Interestingly, it is almost the same scale as the coronavirus itself.
In a "defined ratio," Pfizer claims that it uses four distinct lipids. The primary component in the formulation is the lipid ALC-0315. That's because it's ionizable, a positive charge can be given, and they hold together because the RNA has a negative one. It is also a factor that may induce allergic reactions or side-effects. The other lipids are "helpers" that lend the nanoparticles structural integrity or avoid them from clumping, one of which is the familiar molecule cholesterol. The RNA and the lipids are stirred into a bubbly blend during processing to create what the FDA specifies as a frozen liquid "white to off-white."
Salts
Four salts are present in the Pfizer vaccine, one of which is ordinary table salt. These salts, together, are best known as phosphate-buffered saline, or PBS, a very common component that holds the vaccine's pH or acidity similar to that of the body of a human. If you've ever squeezed lemon on a cut, you'll understand how important it is. Cells can be injured or rapidly degraded by compounds of the incorrect acidity.
Sugar
Simple old sugar, also called sucrose, is used in the vaccine. Here, it serves as a cryoprotectant to prevent the nanoparticles from binding together while they are frozen.
Saline Solution
The vaccination is combined with water and ordinary salt, before infusion, much as certain medicines administered intravenously are. Again, the principle is that the injection can balance the blood's salt content more or less.
No preservation officers
Pfizer points out that its combination of lipid nanoparticles and mRNA is "preservative-free." This is since thimerosal (which includes mercury and is there to destroy any bacteria that may contaminate a vial), a preservative that has been used in some vaccinations, has been at the forefront of questions over if vaccines trigger autism. Thimerosal is said to be healthy by the US Centers for Disease Control; however, its usage is being phased out. The Pfizer vaccine may not contain thimerosal or any other preservatives. No microchips either, either.
The vaccine is now identified by the code name BNT162b, but anticipate Pfizer to give it a brand, commercial name once it's approved that conveys more about what's in it and what it offers to the world.
READ MORE about COVID-19 on the Science Times.
