Sinovac, Pfizer, AstraZeneca: What are the differences between COVID-19 vaccines?

Arabell Lawrene Anthony Soon

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Pfizer-BioNTech .

How does it work?

This vaccine uses innovative mRNA technology, which works differently from the traditional approach used to create, for example, the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab. Rather than injecting the virus into a person, the vaccine instead introduces the body to a messenger sequence, which gives the immune system instructions to create its own antigens – the cells that prompt the production of antibodies and T-Cells to fight COVID-19.

SINOVAC

How does it work?

The vaccine made by China's Sinovac, called CoronaVac, uses technology that has been traditionally used in vaccine manufacturing and has been proved to work safely and efficiently on people. Particles from the virus, inactivated by using chemicals, heat or radiation, are injected into the body, where they trigger an immune response that stops a person from falling seriously ill when they contract COVID-19. Two doses of the vaccine are required, 21 days apart.

OXFORD-ASTRAZENECA

How does it work?

Scientists have taken genes from the spike protein on COVID-19 and inserted them into a harmless common cold virus to create their vaccine. When injected into the body, cells begin to reproduce the spike protein. This immune system retaliates by producing antibodies and creating T-Cells to destroy those cells and prevent the person from falling ill. If the person is infected with COVID-19 at a later date, they now have antibodies and T-Cells to deal with it.