Feb. 26, 2021

The Newest Covid Vaccine Brings with it a Different Technology: Adenovirus Vectors

The Newest Covid Vaccine Brings with it a Different Technology: Adenovirus Vectors

With the EUA of Johnson and Johnson’s Covid vaccine it means a second technology is being used in the U.S. to combat the COVID-19 virus.

“With Sputnik, with AstraZeneca and the J and J, they're using slightly different adenoviruses,” Daniel Griffin, MD, PhD Chief of Infectious Disease at ProHEALTH explains in this week’s episode. 

“There are a number of adenoviruses. You can take an adenovirus from a chimpanzee, and that's what they're using at AstraZeneca. They took a Chimp adenovirus, the original chadox,” he told host Serena Marshall. “What the Russians are doing and I think this is clever, is they're using two different adenoviruses. One for the delivery of the initial and then a different one for the boost. And then J and J is actually just using one adenovirus, because you know, they're hoping for a one-shot, one and done vaccine.”

This week we explore:

  • What we know about Adenovirus vectors
  • How they differ from and are similar to the existing mRNA vaccines. 
  • What side-effects you should expect from a shot using Adenovirus vectors.

Listen along with us on:  Apple Podcasts , Spotify, or wherever you listen.