English for Nurses : Vaccination and messenger RNA Technology

Part 1 - Vocabulary: vaccine production

• booster
• cell-based
• cold chain
• immunity
• inactive
• neoantigen
• novel
• promising
• shelf life
• single-stranded

Match the terms from the vocabulary list with their correct meanings

1. ___________ : system of transporting something from where it is manufactured to the patient, in which the product is kept cold at every stage
2. ___________ : length of time a product can be kept in storage before its expiry date
3. ___________ : small amount of a substance that is given to increase the effect of the same substance that was given some time before
4. ___________ : situation in which you are protected against diseasesituation in which you are protected against disease
5. ___________ : having one thin thread of genetic information
6. ___________ : something that shows signs of being successful
7. ___________ : new and original, not seen before
8. ___________ : describes changing or damaging the dangerous part of a virus so it cannot cause harm
9. ___________ : describes vaccines that are grown in animal cells rather than in hen eggs
10. ___________ : incomplete proteins which are produced when cancer cells mutate

Part 2 - What is a cold chain

Complete the text using the words in the box below

What is a cold chain?

Vaccines are (1) _________ products and only effective if they are stored and transported within a limited (2) _______________ in temperature-controlled environments. Each vaccine has a specific storage temperature range to prevent (3) ________________ of its ingredients.

The protection of vaccines is achieved through a (4) ______________ which is a network of cold storage methods designed to keep vaccines at the correct temperature from manufacture to final use by healthcare workers.

Vaccine manufacturers send vaccines by plane to national (5) __________________ where they are placed in cold rooms before (6) _______________ to regional healthcare facilities, such as hospitals or health centres. Some vaccines may have to be distributed to (7) ___________ vaccination areas, e.g.in remote or rural environments. In order to preserve the cold chain when delivering vaccines to remote areas, special vaccine (8) _______ or solar-powered refrigerators may be used to maintain correct temperature ranges

Part 3: Listening

Watch the video below and answer the questions (True or False).

1. Messenger RNA technology was developed during the Covid pandemic
2. The role of mRNA is to transport genetic information into cells so specific proteins can be manufactured
3. Messenger RNA vaccines do not change the genetic make-up of cells
4. Unlike other vaccines, mRNA vaccines cannot be altered when mutations occur
5. Cell-based vaccines have an advantage over egg-based vaccines because of their rapid development time
6. Messenger RNA vaccines are already used in the treatment of cancer
7. Researchers into mRNA technology are hopeful that it may be promising for the treatment of chronic diseases