My interest in vaccines and science began at a young age. However, it is only now in Transition Year that I have had the chance to explore this interest properly.
There are a wealth of opportunities in TY for STEM-related activities. A few months ago I found an opportunity to apply for work experience in a vaccine training facility called NIBRT (National Institute for Bioprocessing Research & Training ) located on the UCD campus in Dublin.
It was well worth going to and I learnt a lot about the productions of vaccines and other medicines. They use this facility for training so they have slightly scaled down versions of the whole production of vaccines from growing the cells to filling the syringes with the final product.
We had to don lab coats (I thought they only wore them in films ), safety glasses and gloves. They take sterilisation and cleanliness very seriously, and rightly so as you would not want some floor dirt being injected into your body. During the latter stages of creating the vaccines, the workers have a 40-step procedure of wearing full body suits, goggles, shoe covers, hair nets, hoods and masks to prevent bringing anything in that shouldn't be there. Prior to entering, if any piece of your gown touches the ground as you’re putting it on, you have to start all over again.
It's quite amazing to see the machinery that produces the vaccines as there is only a small chamber of liquid containing the vaccine and a swarm and mesh of stainless steel pipes extruding from the egg-shaped container. It has to be kept under the same temperature and with the same oxygen and pH levels to let it grow. Then, the web of pipes is only for cleaning the container afterwards. Cleaning the container can take weeks as it has to be very thorough with no outside contact.
They also have many different types of filters and rotating or pressured machines to separate the waste from the actual useful part for the medicine or vaccine. This is called downstream and it is where you refine the product down so it has no waste and it is the appropriate concentration for humans. This is often the most expensive part as you have to make completely certain that your product is safe. They have to consult with many regulatory boards who ensure that the vaccines are optimal in quality.
The next step was the most exciting, which was called fill finish. This is where you package the final product and where you have to gown up completely. They try to make this process as automated as possible as humans are the ones that could pass on bacteria and viruses, not robots and conveyor belts.
They fill syringes or vials with the particular vaccine or medicine. These rooms have to be completely sterile, you’re not even allowed to wear perfume. You are also not allowed to disturb the air too much and the workers even had to train to a metronome as all movements have to be slow and deliberate.
There is also a person who has to check a certain batch of all vaccines against black, then white backgrounds to see if there are any substances there that shouldn't be.
When many people think of vaccines, they immediately think of COVID-19 and the pandemic. But there are so many other life-saving vaccines out there. Think of the flu vaccine and the ones you get in junior infants against polio and measles among others.
I really enjoyed learning more about the production of vaccines and hope others consider it as something they wouldd like to find more about. I feel they are sort of a ‘hidden asset’ to our world as they help us so much without being too obtrusive.
