The second-generation new crown vaccine is here!
After a generation, do I still need it?
Our reporter Zhang Jiaxing
On December 27, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention approved the emergency use license for the second-generation recombinant protein COVID-19 vaccine of Sinopharm Group China Biotech.
It is the world's first second-generation new crown vaccine.
Many people are confused: What is a second-generation vaccine?
Where is the more "one" in the second generation than the first generation?
After the first generation, do you still need a second-generation vaccine?
To this end, a reporter from Science and Technology Daily interviewed relevant R&D units.
What is the difference between the second-generation vaccine?
The second-generation vaccine approved for emergency use this time is classified from the technical route and belongs to the recombinant protein vaccine.
my country was approved for emergency use of this type of vaccine in March this year.
"Recombinant protein vaccine is a very mature technology, not a new technology." Zhang Yuntao, chief scientist of Sinopharm Group China Biotechnology, told Science and Technology Daily that the hepatitis B vaccine given to children at birth is this technical route. The antigen protein is synthesized in vitro and sent into the body to produce Immunity and safety have been verified for decades.
Since it is not a new technology, why is it a "second generation"?
In the first generation of antigen protein design, part of the protein of the virus prototype strain, such as the key region of the S protein of the new coronavirus, is used.
The second-generation vaccine development is different in antigen design.
Li Qiming, the main person in charge of the R&D team and the president of Sinopharm Biotechnology Research Institute, further explained that in response to the new trend of variant strains, on the basis of the first generation of vaccines, the computational structure vaccinology technology platform is used, through molecular simulation and computational construction. Based on the simulation method, a comprehensive quantitative calculation and evaluation of the immune escape ability of various mutation sites was carried out. The R&D team designed and developed the second-generation recombinant new crown vaccine.
It is understood that the second-generation immune antigens are not limited to the key areas of the new coronavirus S protein previously focused in the industry.
In other words, the first generation of "photographing cats and painting tigers" is better, while the second generation of modeling analysis and calculation evaluation have the meaning of "imagining charm", so they are more "intelligent" in stimulating antibodies.
What's so good about the second generation?
It is precisely because the immune escape ability of various mutation sites is fully quantitatively evaluated from the source of antigen design, the second-generation vaccine is effective against a variety of virus mutant strains.
The clinical vaccination effect in the United Arab Emirates showed that the level of neutralizing antibodies evoked by the second-generation vaccine against Omi Keron strain was significantly better than that of the control vaccine group.
"Second-generation vaccines are developed for variant strains and adopt a broad-spectrum design." According to Li Qiming, from the current data, the sequential vaccination of recombinant vaccines and inactivated vaccines can stimulate the human body to produce higher levels against the prototype strain and the main variant strain. Levels of neutralizing antibodies.
The mutation of the new coronavirus is often unexpected. Is the second-generation vaccine effective for mutations that have not yet appeared?
Li Qiming said that the R&D team is cooperating with the research team of the China Inspection Institute to use the pseudovirus system to conduct broad-spectrum vaccine research. The relevant results will be published in the form of scientific papers. There is also a certain potential for protection.
I have received a first-generation vaccine, do I still need a second-generation vaccine?
According to data released by the State Council’s joint prevention and control mechanism press conference on December 29, my country has completed the entire vaccination process of 1.27.413 million people, accounting for 85.64% of the country’s total population.
Like reporters, many members of the public have already completed the first-generation vaccine. So, do you still need a second-generation vaccine?
It is understood that in the UAE, which is approved for emergency use, the second-generation vaccine is used as a booster vaccination for people who have been vaccinated with two doses of the Sinopharm China Bio-New Crown Inactivated Vaccine.
Li Qiming said that based on the current data, the "inactivation + recombination" vaccination method will greatly improve the level and durability of the immune response of vaccinators.
Recent studies have also shown that the neutralizing antibody titers of testers inoculated with heterologous second-generation vaccines are higher than those in the homologous vaccine group; Keron strain) is effective, and the level of neutralizing antibody is significantly better than that of the control vaccine group.
In the face of constantly mutating new coronaviruses, higher neutralizing antibodies will be more conducive to the formation of the herd immune barrier.
Relevant experts said that the new clinical data and usage data will provide strong data support for the global new crown vaccine development and vaccination strategy selection.