Beijing Institute of Biological Products developed BBIBP-CorV, an inactivated coronavirus vaccine, in early 2020. Clinical experiments conducted by the state-owned corporation Sinopharm demonstrated a 79% effectiveness rate. China authorized the vaccination and immediately began exporting it. The World Health Organization issued a similar 78.1% effectiveness estimate on May 7.

A Coronavirus Vaccine made out of Coronavirus

BBIBP-CorV works by instructing the immune system to produce antibodies against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Antibodies bind to viral proteins, such as the spike proteins that cover the virus’s surface.

The Beijing Institute researchers gathered three coronavirus variants from patients in Chinese hospitals in order to generate BBIBP-CorV. They chose one of the variations because it multiplied rapidly when cultivated in bioreactor tanks with monkey kidney cells.

Killing the Virus

After mass-producing coronaviruses, the researchers sprayed them with a chemical called beta-propiolactone. By covalently linking to the coronaviruses’ genes, the chemical rendered them inactive. Coronaviruses that had been inactivated were unable to proliferate. However, their proteins remained intact, including spike.

The researchers then isolated the inactivated viruses and combined them with a trace quantity of an adjuvant made of aluminum. Adjuvants stimulate the immune system in order to increase the immune system’s reaction to a vaccination.

For nearly a century, inactivated viruses have been utilized. They were employed by Jonas Salk in the 1950s to develop the polio vaccine, and they are the basis for vaccinations against other illnesses such as rabies and hepatitis A.

Activating the Immune System

Due to the fact that the coronaviruses in BBIBP-CorV are no longer viable, they can be injected into the arm without generating Covid-19. Once within the body, certain inactivated viruses are ingested by an immune cell called an antigen-presenting cell

The antigen-presenting cell breaks the coronavirus and shows bits of it on its surface. A kind of T cell known as a helper T cell may detect the fragment. If the fragment binds to one of the T cell’s surface proteins, it gets activated and can assist in recruiting additional immune cells to respond to the vaccination.

Antibodies Production

A other type of immune cell known as a B cell may potentially come into contact with the inactivated coronavirus. B cells contain a wide array of surface proteins, and only a handful may have the proper structure to hook onto the coronavirus. When a B cell recognizes a virus, it can internalize some or all of it and display coronavirus fragments on its surface.

The identical fragment can be captured by a helper T cell activated against the coronavirus. When this occurs, the B cell is activated as well. It multiplies and produces antibodies that are identical in form to their surface proteins.

Virus Elimination

Once immunized with BBIBP-CorV, the immune system is capable of responding to a live coronavirus infection. B cells create antibodies that bind to invading organisms. Antibodies directed against the spike protein can block the virus’s entry into cells. Other types of antibodies may work in a different way to neutralize the virus.

Remembering the Virus

Clinical experiments conducted by Sinopharm have established that BBIBP-CorV can protect persons from Covid-19. However, no one knows how long that protection will continue. It is conceivable that the level of antibodies decreases with time. However, the immune system possesses a subset of cells known as memory B cells that may keep information about the coronavirus for years, if not decades.

Timeline of the Vaccine

January 2020: Sinopharm begins researching an inactivated coronavirus vaccine.

June 2020: The researchers claim that the vaccination has shown promise in monkeys. A Phase 1/2 experiment demonstrates that the vaccination has no major adverse effects and stimulates the production of antibodies against the coronavirus.

July 2020: In the United Arab Emirates, a Phase 3 study has begun.

August 2020: Morocco and Peru have begun phase 3 studies.

14 September 2020: The United Arab Emirates grants emergency authorisation for the use of Sinopharm’s vaccine on health care professionals. It begins to be received by government officials and others.

November 2020: Sinopharm’s chairman claims that almost a million people in China have received Sinopharm vaccinations.

03 November 2020: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, says that he has got the vaccination.

09 December 2020: The United Arab Emirates grants full clearance to BBIBP-CorV, stating that it has an 86 percent effectiveness rate. However, the government provided no more information with their declaration, leaving it unclear how they arrived at their findings.

13 December 2020: Bahrain has also granted approval for the vaccination.

30 December 2020: Sinopharm reports that the vaccine has a 79.34 percent effectiveness rate, prompting the Chinese authorities to approve it. The business has not yet released the complete results of its Phase 3 experiment.

03 January 2021: Egypt has authorized the vaccine for use in an emergency.

12 March 2021: Hungary has agreed to pay over $36 for each dosage of Sinopharm’s vaccine, making it one of the most costly on the market.

07 May 2021: The World Health Organization assesses that the Sinopharm vaccine is 78.1 percent effective and has authorized its use in emergencies.