Covid-19 vaccines launched in the UK are a modern miracle. It is amazing that such safe and effective vaccines have been produced, tested and delivered in such a record time – a real triumph of science, giving hope that our lives will soon return to normal.
However, as remarkable as the speed and efficiency with which these vaccines were produced is the new technology behind some, which is meant to transform our fight against other infectious diseases and even cancer.
I first saw the power of these new vaccines in March last year when I spoke with Professor Robin Shattock, who is in charge of mucosal infections and immunity at Imperial College London, for a film I was making about Covid-19.
Covid vaccines are a modern miracle, giving hope that our lives will soon return to normal
Professor Shattock – whose laboratory at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, is just above the room where almost 100 years ago Sir Alexander Fleming discovered that a fungus called penicillium could kill bacteria – showed me a refrigerator containing a new type. of the vaccine he hoped to use against Covid.
A vaccine is usually made with a virus strain that has been killed or weakened against which it is targeted.
Once injected, it tricks the immune system into believing that it is being attacked, giving the body valuable time to align its defense before it is actually attacked.
The approach used by Professor Shattock is very different. Instead of the real virus, it uses short stretches of genetic material called mRNA (messenger RNA), which contain the code that the virus uses to create club-shaped tips on its surface.
An mRNA vaccine works by triggering the body to start producing a lot of copies of those harmless club-shaped tips.
This causes the immune system to produce a lot of specific Covid antibodies and killer T cells (and to reassure those who are impatient about this, these vaccines have nothing to do with genetic engineering; there is no chance of altering your DNA- ul).
Two of the three vaccines approved in the UK, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, are based on this mRNA technology.
Trials of the imperial vaccine have unfortunately been hampered by the success of these other vaccines, but Professor Stattock hopes to administer them in other countries.
But, as he told me recently, the great thing about mRNA vaccines is that not only are they safe and effective, but if the coronavirus moves, the current vaccine can be “modified” quickly.
Professor Shattock believes that these mRNA vaccines will prove to be a powerful new weapon against Covid-19 and also a number of other diseases, including influenza, TB, HIV and cancer.
In addition to fighting infections, one of the key roles of the immune system is to seek out and destroy cancer cells. The problem is that some cancers avoid detection until it is too late.
However, using mRNA technology, scientists could biopsy a patient’s cancer and identify the genes responsible for the “mutant” proteins found in the disease – once they identified these genes, they would make an mRNA vaccine with a chemical booster. to activate the immune system to seek out and destroy the tumor.
If it sounds a little futuristic, it’s actually already done. In 2017, researchers at BioNTech, the company that produced the Pfizer Covid vaccine, reported early human studies that used this approach on 13 malignant melanoma patients, all of whom showed signs of improvement. One of them, a 52-year-old American man whose cancer had spread to his liver, said that “my tumor began to disappear before my eyes.”
These are the first days, but there is hope that the war against Covid-19 will produce progress that, over time, will increase many more lives.
Give the vaccine something you will want
In the meantime, what, if anything, can you do to make sure you get the best protection from the Covid jab when you get it?
Because vaccines are new, we still don’t know for sure if any lifestyle changes can increase their effectiveness, but based on flu vaccine studies, here are some strategies you could try:
1 If you are overweight or obese, try to lose a few inches. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2017 found that obese adults who had the flu were twice as likely to suffer from the flu as people with a healthy BMI (body mass index).
Wearing too much weight, especially around the waist, makes the immune system less effective. (It is worth noting that studies with the Covid vaccine have shown that obese people have a high degree of protection.)
2 Increase your intake of prebiotics and probiotics. Prebiotics are high-fiber foods that feed “good” bacteria in the gut – these include beans, lentils, garlic, onions and many vegetables.
Probiotics are live bacteria found mainly in fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi and natural yogurt.
A review of studies published in the journal Nutrients in 2017 found that prebiotic and probiotic use before vaccination nearly doubled the number of people who later developed levels of antibody protection.
For simple recipes to stimulate your good bacteria, go to instagram.com/drclarebailey.
3 Sleep well. In a study last year at the University of California, researchers found that healthy volunteers who slept at least one night before getting the flu produced the lowest levels of flu antibodies in the coming months.
This is because while you sleep, your body produces many important components of your immune system, such as antibodies and killer T cells.
4 Exercise your arms. A study from the University of Birmingham a few years ago showed that people who did this a few hours before the flu developed a stronger immune response. It’s not clear why, but I’ll definitely do some push-ups and other arm workouts before the jab.
5 Quit smoking. A number of studies suggest that smoking may actually reduce the effectiveness of vaccines – probably because of its effect on the immune system.
Quarantine hotels are a bad idea … and I should know
I was surprised to hear that the Government is seriously considering introducing quarantine hotels, similar to those in New Zealand and Australia, to try to reduce the threat of coronavirus variants entering the UK.
I think this is a very bad idea. For starters, I guess it’s too late to stop introducing new variants.
One thing we have learned from the last ten months is that this virus is moving fast and often seems to be many steps ahead of us (until new vaccines are paid for).
And while border closures and the use of quarantine hotels have worked brilliantly in countries like Australia and New Zealand, the virus is too ingrained here to do so.
There is also a significant disadvantage, in terms of mental health, of asking people to stay standing in a small room without daylight for an extended period of time.
After spending two weeks in a quarantine hotel in Australia with my wife, Clare, I can assure you that it is extremely challenging.
You are not offered a choice of which hotel or room and you pay between £ 1,500 and £ 2,500 for the dubious pleasure of being locked up 24 hours a day (our room overlooked a brick wall). I suffer from mild claustrophobia and there were times when I wasn’t sure I would stand it.
The worst thing is that you are not allowed to leave the room, not even for a short walk (which is clearly difficult for the 72 tennis stars now in such a hotel in Melbourne before the Australian Open).
A friend who stayed in one of these hotels said she once heard someone screaming, for what appeared to be hours, in the next room. When he called the front desk, he was told not to worry – “they’re probably just having a panic attack.”
If you ever find yourself in such a situation, you need a really calm and reassuring company like Clare.