Protect Yourself and Loved Ones with Influenza Vaccination - Essay Sample

Introduction

The influenza vaccine is the most effective way of protecting people against influenza infections. Influenza vaccine is given to everyone aged 6 months and above to prevent getting the influenza flu, especially for people who are highly likely to develop complications if they contract the flu. People who have 65yearsand above are prone to flu complications. People who have asthma attacks and chronic congestive heart failure are also prone to influenza flu complications. Initially, the influenza vaccines manufactured were in an inactive whole virus form.

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Large scale influenza vaccine is produced by harvesting the fluid that contains the virus. The viruses in the fluid are then killed, and then the antigen is purified. The vaccine is injected in hen's eggs, which have been fertilized for at least nine days (Kramberger, Urbas, & Štrancar, 2015). The injected eggs are incubated for at least two days to allow the multiplication of viruses, after which the vaccine viruses are harvested from the egg white. The vaccine contains some viruses which are then killed using chemicals. The outer proteins are then purified to an antigen, which is the ingredient that is active in the influenza vaccine.

The chromatography and centrifugation processes however, significantly helped in reducing the residual egg materials in the vaccine (Kramberger, Urbas, & Štrancar, 2015). Chromatography is a separation method based on the targeted virus and a column matrix. The separation is categorized into size, charge, affinity as well as charge.

Size-Exclusion Chromatography

Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) is a technique of separation where a stationary matrix is filled with either agarose gel beads or silica (Kramberger, Urbas, & Štrancar, 2015). In the purification of the virus, the virus's void concentrations were collected and separated from protein contaminants, which were in small amounts. SEC was conducted in isocratic mode using resins, which cost less, thus making it a low-cost method of purification. The process occurs by allowing different compounds to pass through based on their size. The size of the compounds is measured based on they pass on the stationary phase.

SEC was used in influenza vaccine purification in the laboratories using both organic solvents as well as aqueous solvents (Kramberger, Urbas, & Štrancar, 2015). Size exclusion chromatography using organic solvents is referred to as gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Exclusion where 1qeous solvents are used in referred to as gel filtration. SEC method of purification lacks selectivity and requires a low flow rate, which leads to low productivity. The process cannot be scaled up because the column can get saturated with the proteins in the host cell, thus preventing the separation of the proteins from the large viruses. These drawbacks, therefore, made the SEC less effective in the manufacturing of the vaccine.

Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography (HIC)

Hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) is a method used to purify the influenza A and B virus (Kramberger, Urbas, & Štrancar, 2015). Different processes were used to achieve the DNA levels needed in the manufacture of vaccines used in preventing influenza. Purification involves clarification, inactivation, concentration as well as anion-exchange chromatography. HIC takes place through the interaction of the hydrophobic particles contained on the molecule targeted for purification with hydrophobic ligands contained in the stationary matrix. To attain high levels of vaccine purity, large amounts of DNA were used. Virus surfaces contain non-polar amino acids that were removed during the hydrophobic interaction process. Polypropylene glycol was used in binding the influenza virus particles and also eases the removal of residue that was contaminating DNA and the proteins.

Affinity Chromatography

This is a method used in binding target compounds such as proteins to immobilized molecules (Kramberger, Urbas, & Štrancar, 2015). This method works by exploiting the biological, physical, or chemical affinities of the molecules. The interactions of the molecules depend on properties such as the interaction of nucleic acids with binding proteins or between antigens and antibodies. In the laboratory, when designing influenza vaccines, scientists used various affinity matrices Lectin-Affinity chromatography was used in the process based on lectins affinity. Influenza A virus contains hemagglutinin as well as neuraminidase glycoproteins. Therefore, in affinity chromatography, the ligand helped in the adsorption of the targeted biomolecule. Scientists used Heparin sulfate in the laboratory as a compound that would act as an attachment for the virus, but it was ineffective since the DNA contaminants removal was low; thus, the vaccine still had high doses of DNA contaminants than the dose recommended by the European Union.

Immobilized Metal Affinity

This method consists of a metal ion as well as a chelating agent with the metal ion serving as an electron receptor. The virus particles are purified by an amino acid called Histidine, cysteine, or tryptophan. Purification of the influenza vaccine is one on an iminodiacetic membrane with optimized ion strength and PH. When using this process, 93 percent of the DNA and 74 percent protein contaminants were removed (Kramberger, Urbas, & Štrancar, 2015). The process of extracting the DNA or the protein contaminants sometimes requires the use of glycine or imidazole, which have to be removed from the final vaccine, thus adding more steps in the process. Metal ions may also leach in the process of purification, thus increase the steps and subsequently, the operational cost as well as reduce the vaccines yield.

Different methods of chromatography are meant to purify the elements used in the research towards finding a vaccine of influenza (Kramberger, Urbas, & Štrancar, 2015). There are parameters that the researchers seek to get and understand influenza to facilitate vaccine development. The world health organization recommends that a common procedure to be used in the development of the vaccine to enable verification that the vaccine meets all the health safety standards.

Different technologies are used to facilitate the development of the influenza vaccine (Kramberger, Urbas, & Štrancar, 2015). The technology allows for the modification of the re-agents and the virus to find the most appropriate method that can be used to produce the vaccine. The technologies allow for the modification and analysis of the influenza traits and finally come up with a vaccine that will enable the body to fight the disease. Technology gives technology alternatives in terms of handling of the different ways that the vaccine can be modified to suit the needs. Technology has also increased the accuracy of the vaccine developed by enabling researchers to make a wide range of vaccine for the influenza disease.

Technology changed the development of the influenza vaccine positively by enabling the researchers to have data that they used to make decisions on matters related to vaccine development (Kramberger, Urbas, & Štrancar, 2015). The researchers were able to use technology to modify the Ouchterlony test. It's not possible to develop the vaccine without using technology because the components used to create the vaccine are chemical substances that need to be measured in their safety and the amounts used to make the vaccine.

References

Kramberger, P., Urbas, L., & Štrancar, A. (2015). Downstream processing and chromatography based analytical methods for production of vaccines, gene therapy vectors, and bacteriophages. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 11(4), 1010-1021.