Explainer: How Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID vaccine works

The video explains the use of adenovirus 26 as a vector in vaccines, specifically focusing on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. It details how the spike protein of the coronavirus is used to trigger an immune response without causing disease. The vaccine introduces genetic material into the body, prompting cells to produce spike proteins, which are harmless but stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies and memory cells. This prepares the body to recognize and fight the actual SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.

Describe the process by which the spike protein gene is used to enter human cells.

What immune response is triggered by the spike proteins produced by the vaccine?