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An understanding of vaccinology or vaccine biology is so critical for USMLE success. And one important topic is the concept of recombinant vaccines. What are the currently available vaccines from this class?

Recombinant vaccines are the ones in which viral polypeptides are prepared from cloned genes using recombinant DNA technology. Genes encoding epitopes, which elicit protective immunity, are inserted into pro- or eukaryotic cells; large quantities of vaccine are produced rapidly. These vaccines are safe, noninfectious, and are feasible to prepare for viruses that cannot be cultured in vitro.

The hepatitis B vaccine was the first genetically engineered vaccine to be licensed for human use. Other recombinant DNA vaccines include the HPV vaccines, the Zoster Shingrix vaccine, the RSV vaccines, and the Ebola virus live vaccine, which is a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-Zaire ebolavirus (rVSV-ZEBOV; V920), that is a replication-competent viral vector vaccine.

Also, the recombinant influenza vaccine (influenza virus vaccine trivalent, recombinant), one of the four types of trivalent influenza vaccines available, contains recombinant HA proteins of strains of influenza virus specified by health authorities for inclusion in the annual seasonal vaccine. These proteins function as antigens, which induce a humoral immune response, measured by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody.

This influenza vaccine was made with recombinant DNA methods to offer individuals with allergies to egg proteins an opportunity to evade such allergic responses that are associated with the regular trivalent influenza vaccine and the adjuvanted vaccine which are manufactured using an egg-based process.