Immunologist explains 'key' to vaccine science

It's natural that people have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, Frederic Bertley, president and CEO of the COSI science museum in Columbus, said at an Ohio Department of Health press conference Thursday. Bertley, who has a Ph.D. in immunology, said even experts are constantly getting new pieces of information about COVID-19 and its vaccines, as "this is all happening in real time." He emphasized that the scientific and medical community isn't hiding data or "trying to hoodwink the public" — it's simply that new information keeps being discovered. He said the COVID-19 vaccine is based on other vaccines that have been in development for more than a decade. And after more than a year of COVID-19 vaccines being available, over 9 billion doses have been given worldwide. Vaccines don't create anything new in the body, but instead strengthen what is already there, Bertley explained. He used the analogy of a personal trainer who doesn't add new muscles to their clients, but strengthens the ones they already have. Similarly, vaccines strengthen your immune system. Bertley said vaccines can be made in several ways. The measles vaccine uses a live, but weakened, virus, while others use a dead virus. A virus is "not like a burglar" who breaks into your home by smashing a window, Bertley said. The virus actually has a key that causes the door to open. The coronavirus' key is the spike glycoprotein. It enters your body, finds a cell and binds to a receptor, or "keyhole." So, Bertley said, the vaccine sets out to block the interaction of key and keyhole. The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines include messenger RNA (mRNA), which is a code that tells your body to produce that protein. Your cell "reads" the mRNA's "message" like a book, Bertley said, and produces a piece of the protein, causing your immune system to react. He noted that just as our cells have DNA, we also all "have billions and billions of molecules of RNA" already in our body. And he said that when the omicron surge hit, many people said the vaccines must not be working because they knew people who had received two doses of vaccine but still got infected. But, he said, many people who had been vaccinated and were exposed to omicron didn't get infected. And fewer of those who did get infected ended up severely ill or died. He likened it to a police officer's bulletproof vest, which will not prevent the officer from being shot, but will protect them from serious injury. Bertley said that when talking with someone reluctant to get vaccinated, it's important not to make them feel ashamed and to treat their questions with respect. "We have to meet everybody where they are," he said. He said the majority of people who haven't been vaccinated yet aren't staunchly opposed to it — they're just hesitant. And, he said, they are likely more hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccines than other vaccines, as it is new, and the pandemic is still ongoing. Bertley predicted that in 50 or 100 years, people will routinely get vaccinated against COVID-19 without hesitancy. And he pointed out that, "as a society, we love new technology" in general, such as the newest smartphones or cars. Arthurs: 419-427-8494