What are recombinant DNA vaccines? Give two examples of such vaccines. Discuss their advantages.
In recombinant DNA vaccine, only one or two antigen is inserted into the DNA of a suitable host. Recombinant DNA technology enables to make vaccines on a larger scale with least chances of contamination. These are cheaper. Examples include Hepatitis B and HPV Vaccine
Cell culture is used to do large scale production. A suitable animal (ex - horse) is injected with strains of pathogen and antigens are produced in the horse's cells. Antigens are then extracted from horse's serum. However, there are many shortcomings to this method –
Recombinant DNA technology can address these issues as yeast is required to produce the vaccine, and large scale production can be done at a lower cost.