2022 Issues

Statement: Your immune system attacks and remembers the contents of the COVID-19 vaccine allowing your body to attack faster and more efficiently if you get infected with the real virus.

Explanation: To understand what happens after the COVID-19 vaccination, you must know about the immune system. The immune system is the system in our body that attacks any invaders from hurting us. It’s made up of many different types of white blood cells (protectors of the body) and is very complex, so for the sake of simplicity I will only talk about only a few white blood cells in this process. Once the mRNA in the vaccine gets injected into the body, the mRNA turns into COVID-19 protein spikes. These spikes have antigens which are like tags that allow the body to know what is an intruder and what is not. The immune system detects these antigens and sends in many different white blood cells (WBC), such as macrophages (WBCs that swallow the intruder) to attack it. These WBCs leave behind the antigens, but digest everything else. The antigens are used to create WBCs called T-lymphocytes. These cells have a memory. It can “remember” the antigens, so that if there is ever a COVID-19 infection, your body will be able to work faster and more efficiently to get rid of the virus.

Metaphor: Think of learning a concept. When you are given a practice math worksheet, you learn how to do the math while working through the practice. Then next time you remember the math and can do it much faster. This is the same concept. Our body is given a practice round with the virus (the vaccine) and while the immune system attacks the spike proteins, our body learns how to attack it. Then if you get attacked by the real virus, your body remembers and can destroy it much faster.

References:

Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work. CDC, 27 May 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/how-they-work.html. 5 July 2021.

Malcolm, Kelly. What Happens After You Get the COVID-19 Vaccine. Michigan Health, 20 January 2021, https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/wellness-prevention/what-happens-after-you-get-covid-19-vaccine. 5 July 2021.

How the immune system remembers viruses. ScienceDaily, 2 November 2020, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201102110039.htm. 5 July 2021.