Vaccinations from Smallpox to SARS-CoV-2 Flashcards
What is a ‘Black Swan Event’?
Unexpected and causes major disruption
(Covid)
When did zoonotic diseases appear?
Animal domestication
How many people did the Smallpox Virus kill between 1877 and 1977?
500 million
What type of viral genome does the Smallpox virus have?
DNA
What type of viral genome does SARS-CoV-2 have?
RNA
When did Smallpox emerge?
~8,000 years ago
(hard evidence: 3,000 years ago)
What is another name for Smallpox?
The little speckled monster
How much of the Americas indigenous population did Smallpox wipe out?
~90%
Where did the first “vaccination” orginate?
China
(blowing powdered Smallpox scabs up nose)
Where in the world did the first type of vaccination change to a newer technique?
Ottoman Empire
(around Iran and Turkey)
Who is credited with bringing Smallpox vaccination to England?
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
- Inoculated her children
- Returned to London & convinced the British royal family to get inoculated too
Who is credited with encouraging Europe to get vaccinated against Smallpox?
Catherine the Great
What TWO men were credited with discovering modern vaccination methods against Smallpox?
Edward Jenner & Benjamin Jesty
Who was the last person in the world to be diagnosed with natural Smallpox?
Ali Maalin
How many viruses make the jump from animal to human each year?
30
How many viruses make the jump from animal to human each year?
30
How many zoonotic viruses survive in their human hosts each year after making the jump from animals?
1-2
How many types of coronavirus were discovered in the 1960s?
7
What type of virus is most prevalent in the early autumn, spring and summer?
Rhinoviruses
Cause 10-40% of colds
What type of virus is most prevalent in the early autumn, spring and summer?
Rhinoviruses
Cause 10-40% of colds
Which type of virus is most prevalent in the winter and early spring?
Coronaviruses
Cause 20% of colds
Which type of virus is most prevalent in the winter and early spring?
Coronaviruses
Cause 20% of colds
Which type of virus is most prevalent in the winter and early spring?
Coronaviruses
Cause 20% of colds
How many types of viruses cause cold-like symptoms?
~200
Why can we safely deduce that SARS-CoV-2 did NOT escape from a lab in Wuhan?
The virus backbone is too different from other coronaviruses
What are some vaccine options?
- Attenuated whole virus
- Dead virus
- Recombinant spike protein
- Viral vector
- mRNA
Which TWO people pioneered the work into mRNA vaccine technology?
Katalin Karikó & Drew Wiseman
Which TWO people created BioNTech and furthered work into mRNA vaccine technology?
Ugur Sahin & Özlem Türeci
What chemical base modification to mRNA renders it non-immunogenic?
Uracil
What problems and issues are encountered when designing an RNA vaccine?
- Immune response
- Manufacture
- Delivery
- Stability
- Safety
What THREE factors are needed for delivery and translation of mRNA in vaccines?
- Dodge the immune system
- Crank up the protein
- Work where it’s needed
How many polypeptide chains does the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein have?
3
The insertion of how many Prolines are needed to stabilise the spike protein on the SARS-CoV-2 virus?
4
How is the mRNA delivered into the body?
Inside lipid vesicles
What temperature does the COVID-19 vaccine have to be stored at?
-70°C
