Vaccinations from Smallpox to SARS-CoV-2

Question 1

What is a ‘Black Swan Event’?

Answer 1

Unexpected and causes major disruption
(Covid)

Question 2

When did zoonotic diseases appear?

Answer 2

Animal domestication

Question 3

How many people did the Smallpox Virus kill between 1877 and 1977?

Answer 3

500 million

Question 4

What type of viral genome does the Smallpox virus have?

Answer 4

DNA

Question 5

What type of viral genome does SARS-CoV-2 have?

Answer 5

RNA

Question 6

When did Smallpox emerge?

Answer 6

~8,000 years ago
(hard evidence: 3,000 years ago)

Question 7

What is another name for Smallpox?

Answer 7

The little speckled monster

Question 8

How much of the Americas indigenous population did Smallpox wipe out?

Answer 8

~90%

Question 9

Where did the first “vaccination” orginate?

Answer 9

China
(blowing powdered Smallpox scabs up nose)

Question 10

Where in the world did the first type of vaccination change to a newer technique?

Answer 10

Ottoman Empire
(around Iran and Turkey)

Question 11

Who is credited with bringing Smallpox vaccination to England?

Answer 11

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

• Inoculated her children
• Returned to London & convinced the British royal family to get inoculated too

Question 12

Who is credited with encouraging Europe to get vaccinated against Smallpox?

Answer 12

Catherine the Great

Question 13

What TWO men were credited with discovering modern vaccination methods against Smallpox?

Answer 13

Edward Jenner & Benjamin Jesty

Question 14

Who was the last person in the world to be diagnosed with natural Smallpox?

Answer 14

Ali Maalin

Question 15

How many viruses make the jump from animal to human each year?

Answer 15

30

Question 16

How many viruses make the jump from animal to human each year?

Answer 16

30

Question 17

How many zoonotic viruses survive in their human hosts each year after making the jump from animals?

Answer 17

1-2

Question 18

How many types of coronavirus were discovered in the 1960s?

Answer 18

7

Question 19

What type of virus is most prevalent in the early autumn, spring and summer?

Answer 19

Rhinoviruses

Cause 10-40% of colds

Question 20

What type of virus is most prevalent in the early autumn, spring and summer?

Answer 20

Rhinoviruses

Cause 10-40% of colds

Question 21

Which type of virus is most prevalent in the winter and early spring?

Answer 21

Coronaviruses

Cause 20% of colds

Question 22

Which type of virus is most prevalent in the winter and early spring?

Answer 22

Coronaviruses

Cause 20% of colds

Question 23

Which type of virus is most prevalent in the winter and early spring?

Answer 23

Coronaviruses

Cause 20% of colds

Question 24

How many types of viruses cause cold-like symptoms?

Answer 24

~200

Question 25

Why can we safely deduce that SARS-CoV-2 did NOT escape from a lab in Wuhan?

Answer 25

The virus backbone is too different from other coronaviruses

Question 26

What are some vaccine options?

Answer 26

* Attenuated whole virus * Dead virus * Recombinant spike protein * Viral vector * mRNA

Question 27

Which TWO people pioneered the work into mRNA vaccine technology?

Answer 27

Katalin Karikó & Drew Wiseman

Question 28

Which TWO people created BioNTech and furthered work into mRNA vaccine technology?

Answer 28

Ugur Sahin & Özlem Türeci

Question 29

What chemical base modification to mRNA renders it non-immunogenic?

Answer 29

Uracil

Question 30

What problems and issues are encountered when designing an RNA vaccine?

Answer 30

1. Immune response 2. Manufacture 3. Delivery 4. Stability 5. Safety

Question 31

What THREE factors are needed for delivery and translation of mRNA in vaccines?

Answer 31

1. Dodge the immune system 2. Crank up the protein 3. Work where it's needed

Question 32

How many polypeptide chains does the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein have?

Answer 32

3

Question 33

The insertion of how many Prolines are needed to stabilise the spike protein on the SARS-CoV-2 virus?

Answer 33

4

Question 34

How is the mRNA delivered into the body?

Answer 34

Inside lipid vesicles

Question 35

What temperature does the COVID-19 vaccine have to be stored at?

Answer 35

-70°C