CPD module: Covid vaccinations

With the vaccination programme in full swing, we look at the principles behind the new SARS-CoV-2 vaccines...

After completing this module, you should be more aware of: 

• the nature and structure of SARS-CoV-2
• why spike, or S proteins, on the virus capsule are the focus of vaccine research 
• other potential targets for inactivating or eliminating the virus 
• the range of vaccine platforms and their modes of action 
• how RNA and DNA vaccines work, and specifically the new mRNA vaccines 
• the seven vaccines the UK is expecting to use against Covid-19 
• differences between the BioNTech/Pfizer and the Moderna mRNA vaccines 
• the basis of the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine 
• JCVI advice about vaccine selection and dosing regimes 
• The priority groups for vaccination
• Contraindications, use in pregnancy, and adverse effects including anaphylaxis