How to make a vaccine

The goal of a vaccine is to prepare your immune system to fight a bad virus or bacterium. It does this by stimulating your body to make antibodies that can quickly recognize a foreign invader and trigger an effective immune response. In the case of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, teams of scientists are working on three types of vaccines, all of which stimulate the body to make antibodies:

• Whole inactivated virus: You grow the bad virus in the laboratory then inactivate it with chemicals or other methods, rendering it harmless. This was the method Salk used for the polio vaccine. At the moment, a Chinese company, Sinovac, is in clinical trials using this method.
• Recombinant nanoparticle: You synthesize pieces of the virus protein and grow them in insect cells along with a special compound. The government has paid Novavax $1.6 billion to develop this vaccine. 
• Gene-based vaccine: You take a bit of RNA or DNA from the virus then stitch it into the genes of a vector, such as the virus for the common cold. This method was used to make a vaccine for Ebola.
• Viral-gene snippet: You take a snippet of a viral gene (m/RNA) which can enter the human cell and induce it to make the virus’ spike protein. The resulting antibodies latch onto the spike proteins. A company called Moderna is using this approach and is in the first phase clinical trials.

In Russia, they're experimenting with giving people the Sabin Oral Polio Vaccine, which is a live, but weakened polio virus. It's safe, available, and inexpensive. While the polio vaccine doesn't promote antibodies specific to the Covid-19 disease virus, it is a powerful stimulant to the innate immune system, priming it to attack invaders. This would be a stop gap measure.

Of course, the laboratories making the other vaccines must conduct a series of clinical trials to determine dosages, side effects, safety, and efficacy. Sinovac’s trials are encouraging, as are Moderna’s, although a few test subjects in Moderna’s trials have gotten sick, probably because of dosage issues. After the trials are complete, companies must then manufacture and distribute the vaccine, a process that normally takes years. To speed up the process, some companies are already preparing for production. This will be interesting.

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