The development of vaccines is often an overlooked topic. People tend to just care whether vaccines work, and not how they were made. A major argument against vaccines is that the ingredients could be dangerous, but before that judgement can be made a deeper look into the manufacturing and development of vaccines needs to be done. According to an article from The History of Vaccines, there are a number of steps involved in the production of vaccines. The first step is the creation of the antigen, the substance that causes an immune response. There are different approaches to this step depending on the kind of pathogen the vaccine is for. If it is a bacterial pathogen, then the bacteria will be cultured in a petri dish along with other cells (that will produce the antigen). A virus can be grown in cell culture. Some vaccines are even grown in chicken eggs; which is why some people have allergic reactions to them. The pathogen is then removed from the culture where it was grown and begins phase two. The second step in creation of a vaccine is “isolation.” The antigen which was created by the cells that the pathogen was cultured in are extracted. The antigen is taken out from the “growth medium” and is then purified to ensure that only the antigen remains. The last step of the process only happens in some vaccines. Sometimes they add other ingredients to help strengthen vaccines, or to improve their shelf life. The production of vaccines is important because it is a safe way to prevent disease. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections, but over time and exposure bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics. In vaccines, however, this doesn’t happen. A pathogen can’t become resistant to a vaccine. If they change their antigen changes therefore causing the vaccine to change as well. There may be boosters required, but techinically a pathogen can’t become resistant to its current vaccine. There is a lot more to the process of getting vaccines than just manufacturing them. The clinical development of a vaccine is often a lengthy process. According to the CDC, “the general stages of the development cycle of a vaccine an exploratory phase, pre-clinical stage, regulatory review and approval, manufacturing, and finally quality control. In order for a vaccine to become available for use it, must undergo rigorous testing by the researchers followed by testing from the FDA to insure its safety. The FDA is very careful when approving new types of drugs or vaccines. They have to take into account the research already done, but also thoroughly investigate the substance. There are many things they have to look into like the materials that are used in manufacturing, and any adverse reactions or side effects that could occurs. Even after a vaccine is approved it is still monitored to keep track of any long-term effects. After testing and research is conducted leading to the approval of a vaccine, they are then manufactured and sold to hospitals and pharmacies to be used. By the time people start to get vaccines they have been tested and research within an inch of their existence; even after their approval they closely monitored to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing to ensure a safe and healthy population for years to come.
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AuthorMy name is Katie Flexer, and I will be researching vaccinations. Archives
April 2018
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