Vaccine 101: How the COVID-19 Vaccine Works in Your Body

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Side view shot of male nurse wearing protective mask and gloves preparing medical syringe for giving COVID-19 vaccine injection to senior patient

COVID-19 vaccines have gone through numerous tests, with Russia being the first nation in the world to register such a vaccine. Russia’s president approved the Sputnik V vaccine after yielding positive clinical trial results in the early stages. Currently, mRNA, protein subunit, and vector vaccines are going through phase 3 clinical trials on a large scale in the U.S. 

To understand how the COVID-19 vaccine works in your body, you need to know how your immune system fights the virus.

How Your Immune System Works: Your Body’s Defense

When your body gets an infection from a virus, your immune system fights that infection. Blood has two types of cells – red cells and white cells. Red cells carry oxygen to all parts of your body. White blood cells fight infections. Here are three different types of white blood cells and how they fight infections in your body.

• Macrophages 

They swallow and digest dead cells and germs, but leave parts of the germs called antigens. Your body will identify antigens as dangerous to the body and stimulate antibodies that will attack them.

• B-lymphocytes

These are white blood cells that produce antibodies that attack any pieces of the virus that macrophages leave behind.

• T-lymphocytes

This is another type of white blood cell. They attack infected cells in your body.

How the COVID-19 Vaccine Works in Your Body

These three types of vaccines will prompt your body so that it recognizes and protects you from the COVID-19 virus.

• mRNA Vaccine

This type of vaccine has material from the COVID-19 virus that instructs your cells to make a unique, harmless protein. Your body will realize that the protein is a foreign substance and will build T-Lymphocytes and B-Lymphocytes. These cells will remember how to destroy and fight the virus in case of future infections.

• Protein Subunit

A protein subunit vaccine carries a harmless protein of the virus. The vaccine recognizes that the protein is foreign to your body and begins to make T-lymphocytes and antibodies that will remember how to fight the virus in future infections.

• Vector Vaccine

This vaccine contains a live virus that is a weak version of COVID-19. Once the vaccine is injected inside your body, it causes your body to remember how to fight the COVID-19 virus in case of future infections.

Vaccination is one of the ways you can protect yourself and others from the COVID-19 virus. The vaccine will work with your immune system to fight this virus. If you want to learn more about preventing diseases in your body, enroll in the course entitled “How to Prevent Disease in Your Body (By Eating Fruits and Vegetables!)” offered by Avidity Medical Design Academy. 

6 Questions You Should Ask At Your Next Doctor’s Appointment

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doctor speaking to patient in medical office

Have you ever come home from a doctor’s appointment and realized you forgot to ask something? Maybe you didn’t understand why your doctor ordered a lab test or prescribed a medication. In the U.S., the average doctor’s appointment lasts 20 minutes, so it’s important to come prepared. To make the most of your next visit, ask your doctor these six questions:

1. Is my medication list up to date?

A nurse or a medical assistant may ask you if your medications are up to date in your medical record, but don’t count on them to do so. Give them the information if they don’t ask. Come prepared with a list of all of your medications, OTC and prescribed, as well as any supplements that you take, such as vitamins. Be sure to include prescriptions from other doctors, so that contraindicated medications are not mixed.

2. Am I current on my immunizations?

Once we reach adulthood, it’s easy to forget about immunizations. Taking into consideration your age, your travel plans, and other factors, your doctor can recommend the right immunizations for you. 

3. Are you aware of my drug allergies?

If you have ever had an allergic reaction to a medication, it’s important that this information is in your medical record. If you have a medical emergency, you would not want to be given a medication that you are allergic to, or that might cause have other side effects.

4. What blood or lab tests should I have performed?

Factors like your age, gender, and family history are considered when your doctor orders lab tests. Ask your doctor what tests you need to have performed now. If you don’t understand the purpose of a test, ask your doctor to explain it to you. 

5. Why are you prescribing this medication?

Your doctor may decide to prescribe a new medication, or change the dosage of an existing medication. Make sure you understand why you are taking the medication, and how long you will be on it.

6. Can I see a copy of my medical records?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA law, guarantees that you have access to your medical records and those of your minor children. If you receive healthcare at different clinics, each clinic may have a different procedure for requesting your medical records. Your medical record contains a lot of information, and you need to know how to interpret it. Avidity Medical Design Academy offers a course entitled, “How to Read Your Own Medical Record (Learn What is in YOUR Medical Files!).” This course teaches important information that you should know in order to understand what is being entered into your medical record. You will also learn how to read your medical record, and how to report any errors or omissions that you find. Visit the Avidity Medical Design Academy homepage to learn more about this course.