Consider that the largest human cells are about the diameter of a human hair. Bacteria cells are one-hundredth the size of a human cell and viruses are much, much smaller again. If you imagine that a single virus was the size of an adult human, a bacterium (single cell) would be over 10 storeys high by comparison. A bacterium next to a human cell is like a tiny boat next to a big ship. Hundreds of thousands of bacteria could fit onto a pinhead.

The main microorganisms in and on our bodies are protozoa, algae, fungi, bacteria and viruses. Most microorganisms are beneficial, for example, there are microorganisms in our large intestine that synthesise vitamins and allow them to be absorbed into the bloodstream. However, a tiny minority are pathogens (disease-causing agents). These pathogens, often called germs or bugs, are a threat to all life forms.

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Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom.

Yeast is a very useful microorganism and is used to cause fermentation. Yeast grows by fermentation, feeding upon sugars. During fermentation, yeast converts glucose into ethanol and carbon dioxide and is therefore used in beer and wine manufacturing, and baking. In beer and wine manufacturing, ethanol is the desired product and carbon dioxide is useful in baking.

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Because microorganisms include most unicellular organisms from all three domains of life they can be extremely diverse. Two of the three domains, Archaea and Bacteria, only contain microorganisms. The third domain Eukaryota includes all multicellular organisms as well as many unicellular protists and protozoans that are microbes. Some protists are related to animals and some to green plants. There are also many multicellular organisms that are microscopic, namely micro-animals, some fungi, and some algae, but these are generally not considered microorganisms.

Microbes are important in human culture and health in many ways, serving to ferment foods, and to produce fuel, enzymes, and other bioactive compounds. Microbes are essential tools in biology as model organisms and have been put to use in biological warfare and bioterrorism. Microbes are a vital component of fertile soil. In the human body, microorganisms make up the human microbiota, including the essential gut flora. The pathogens responsible for many infectious diseases are microbes and, as such, are the target of hygiene measures.

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Microorganisms are found virtually everywhere, except for environments that have been made artificially sterile by humans. Even these must be constantly sterilized and carefully protected, lest microorganisms be tracked in from the outside world.

Microorganisms live in water, in soil, and on the skin and in the digestive tracts of animals. This is why all living things must have immune systems – while many microorganisms can be helpful to them, some can be harmful and cause disease.

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Do you remember all those months we have spent waiting for a cure, hoping to get out of this situation as soon as possible? Well, the wait was definitely worth it! 

Even though we are highly fortunate that trusted and professional doctors all around the world have come up with a vaccine for this pandemic, it is important to make sure that we are clear about how it works and reacts to our body. While multiple debates are going on about the vast aspects of the vaccine, the question that everyone is seeking an answer to is; is a single dose of Covid 19 vaccine sufficient to keep us safe?

The answer to this is 2 fold – while some doctors support just one dose, others feel it is essential to get 2 booster shots.

To name some, Pfizer, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna, Sinovac, and Sinopharm are the various types of vaccines that have been approved for the masses. Here is an authentic and original take on what the creators of the top 4 vaccines have to say about only getting a single booster shot –

UK’s Vaccine Committee

The committee used a different method to calculate the efficiency of the vaccine. Instead of observing from Day 1 of getting the first booster shot, they only looked at days 15-21.

The efficacy of getting just one booster shot jumped to 89% since it is not being diluted by the high number of infections that take place before the vaccine begins to show its effect on the body. In fact, they also observed that the recovery of the immune system stays more or less the same whether you take one shot or two.

Pfizer

The first dose of this vaccine is roughly 52% effective. It shows no signs of infection or any disease symptoms even after 2 weeks of getting the dose. Out of 36,523 participants in phase 3 of the trial, only 82 developed symptoms in the late future.

However, only getting one shot comes with its drawbacks. Firstly, the protection does not kick in until at least day 12. Secondly, getting two booster shots proved to be 95% effective at preventing disease.

Moderna

After drawing a comparison, it was found out that while just one dose of vaccine can provide 80.2% protection, two doses can provide 95.6%. However, the time gap between getting 2 doses is about 28 days and hence, it poses threats to the subject’s immunity. 

While Moderna believes that just getting one dose is sufficient, they are not sure if the immunity from a single vaccine will continue in the long run or drop off after a certain stage.

Sinovac

This vaccine is slightly unusual as it has been trialled in various countries, all of which have produced different results. The researchers have altogether removed the possibility of a single dose being sufficient.

According to researchers in Turkey, two doses are 91.25% protective, while scientists in Indonesia say it is only 65.3% effective. There are other countries who range their estimation for 40-50% as well.

The results have been viewed with some scepticism and there are ongoing studies to reach a common consensus.

The fact of the matter is that getting two booster shots is not new to vaccines. At the end of the day, two vaccine shots are guaranteed to give us best results. Here is a common suggestion of some of the most renowned doctors– “Do not think one dose is better than none. If you have the chance of getting two shots, please go ahead without thinking twice.”

Moreover, the doctors are urging all citizens to make sure they are well aware and updated with the workings and after effects of the vaccine. Keep in mind that nothing about the vaccine is written in stone and as in when the research progresses, the results keep changing with time.

Finally, one last piece of advice is to continue to maintain social distancing as it is essential till the time adequate coverage of the vaccine is attained. With the limited initial availability of the vaccines, let us make sure we take precautions to avoid the further spread of the pandemic.

In simpler words, while the announcement of vaccines may sound exciting and relieving, all of us need to wait a while longer before we can resume and get back to our normal routine lives.

We hope all of us stay safe, patient, and emerge out of this pandemic stronger and united as ever!

At ExperiHub, we teach Science and Mathematics by bringing concepts from the real world into the classroom. We conduct science experiments and have myriad science projects for better learning and understanding of concepts. If you want to learn more about Experiential Learning and cool home experiments, browse through our Online Sessions and Youtube Channel!  

References – 

“Is one-dose COVID-19 vaccination better than two?” Dr. Liji Thomas, 6 Jan. 2021, https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210106/Is-one-dose-COVID-19-vaccination-better-than-two.aspx

“Is more than one dost of the Covid-19 vaccine necessary?” John Whyte, 16 Jan. 2021, https://www.webmd.com/coronavirus-in-context/video/vaccines-dosing

“Can you still transmit Covid-19 after vaccination?” BBC, 3 Feb. 2021, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210203-why-vaccinated-people-may-still-be-able-to-spread-covid-19