The Immune System and the COVID-19 Vaccine

The Immune System and the COVID-19 Vaccine

Open Ended

Becoming infected with a pathogen (such as a virus) after being exposed to someone who had it would result in your body learning how to make antibodies against that pathogen. Besides becoming infected with the full-blown disease, what is another way your body could learn how to fight a pathogen, and become protected against it if you were exposed to it again in the future?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT contained in a vaccine?

• a weakened form of the pathogen

• an inactive or "dead" form of the pathogen

• antigen or piece of the pathogen

• antibodies that target a specific antigen

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of getting vaccinated?

• Your body will produce antigens that target the pathogen

• Your body will produce antibodies that target the pathogen

Multiple Choice

Which letter identifies the antigen in the picture more precisely?

• A

• B

Multiple Choice

300 viral particles of SARS-CoV-2 have entered a person's body. Which cell of the immune system will engulf or "eat" some of these 300 SARS-CoV-2?

• Helper T-cell

• Phagocyte

• Antigen

• Plasma cell

Multiple Choice

A part of this virus (also known as a(n) ___________) will be transported to the surface of the phagocyte, where it can be presented to other cells.

• Antibiotic

• Antibody

• Antigen

Multiple Choice

The APC will present the antigen to which of the following cells?

• Plasma cells

• Memory B cells

• Helper T cells

• Cytotoxic T cells

Multiple Choice

Besides phagocytes, who is also exposed to the pathogen, engulfs or "eats" it, and presents an antigen or part of the pathogen on the cell's surface?

• Helper T-cells

• B-cells

• Cytotoxic T-cells

• Plasma cells

Multiple Choice

What does the Helper T-cell do at this point?

• Comes in contact with a B-cell, and causes it to change into memory B-cells and plasma cells

• Comes in contact with a B-cell, and causes it to self-destruct while the pathogen is still inside it

• Comes in contact with a B-cell, and causes it to change into a T-cell

• Comes in contact with a B-cell, and causes it to produce antigens

Open Ended

Before the APC can present a pathogen’s antigen on the cell’s surface, it first must “eat” and break down the pathogen. But before that it must first “bump into” the pathogen somewhere in your body. How would you explain why the pathogen was in your body in the first place?

So what will be

SARS-CoV-2's

Antigen?

Open Ended

We know that if a phagocyte engulfed or “ate” SARS-CoV-2, it would break it down and would present this spike protein as an antigen. But if the spike protein is just that, a protein, what is another way we could get an APC to present this very antigen without you having to get sick?

Open Ended

What do you propose may have been a way for scientists to get an APC to end up with a SARS-CoV-2 spike protein on its surface, WITHOUT injecting the virus OR the spike protein itself? Hint: What is the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology? DNA -> mRNA -> proteins)

What about the Johson and Johnson vaccine?

What about the Johson and Johnson vaccine?

What are some myths surrounding the vaccine?

Myth #1

The COVID vaccine will alter my DNA

This is False. The vaccine does NOT have the necessary enzyme to do this.

Myth #2

The COVID vaccine will make me sick with COVID.

What do you think?

Open Ended

In your own words, debunk Myth #2.