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Remember the novel coronavirus? A virus never before seen in humans? Remember the lockdowns, social distancing and masks that were our only means of protecting ourselves from that deadly new virus?鈥听
In the midst of鈥 the greatest public health emergency since the flu pandemic of 1918, scientists took a new鈥 vaccine 鈥痶echnology, based on mRNA, and ran with it.鈥听
The鈥 technology鈥飞补蝉苍鈥檛鈥 exactly new. It had been studied for decades. If COVID-19鈥hadn鈥檛听鈥痗ome along when it did, it may have taken longer for vaccine manufacturers to use it. But with Operation Warp Speed鈥攁 private-public partnership spearheaded by the U.S. government in鈥痶he spring of鈥 2020鈥攖he entire process was compressed into a shorter-than usual 鈥time frame.鈥赌听
Clinical trials and vaccine production took place simultaneously, and no steps were skipped. 鈥疊oth Moderna and Pfizer carried out large studies of their mRNA vaccine candidates,鈥 enrolling鈥 tens of thousands of volunteers.鈥赌听
It鈥痷sually takes several years to develop a new vaccine 鈥痓ased on鈥 traditional methods. But it鈥 took鈥 less than a year to roll out鈥 not just one but two 鈥roughly equivalent, highly effective鈥 mRNA鈥 COVID-19鈥 vaccines.鈥赌听
As a result, millions of lives have been saved.听
However, throughout the pandemic and鈥 to 鈥痶his day, vaccine skeptics 鈥痟ave 鈥痟ad an outsize impact, sowing鈥 doubt and fear 鈥痳elated to the very technology that鈥 was saving 鈥痩ives and protecting all of us against the worst effects of the coronavirus.鈥赌听
Now,鈥 the skeptical view has become mainstream with cuts happening to鈥 mRNA vaccine research projects, which 鈥痺ill affect our ability to successfully manage future pandemics.听
Continue reading below to understand the impact of mRNA vaccines and importance of their ongoing development.听
Traditional vaccines鈥 use one of three鈥 approaches to trigger an immune response:鈥听
Which ever鈥 version 鈥痠s used, traditional vaccines are expensive and time-consuming to produce.鈥赌听
The approach taken to produce mRNA vaccines is markedly different.鈥贬别谤别鈥檚鈥 a rough description 鈥痮f how the鈥 mRNA 鈥疌OVID-19 vaccines were鈥 developed.鈥听
Scientists used the RNA-based genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 (the coronavirus that causes COVID-19) and turned鈥 it 鈥痠nto DNA. That allowed them to 鈥identify听鈥痶he instructions needed to create鈥 the unique 鈥痵pike protein found on the surface of the virus. Then, they were able to engineer the corresponding synthetic mRNA in the lab and insert it into the vaccine.鈥听
mRNA鈥 is 鈥痑 platform that can be used to create vaccines against a wide variety of diseases. One of the great advantages of the platform is that a vaccine can be 鈥痲uickly manufactured and scaled up, no matter which virus is being targeted. 鈥疘n other words, by applying mRNA technology,鈥there鈥檚听鈥痭o need to 鈥reinvent the wheel听鈥痚very time鈥 a manufacturer wishes to 鈥痬ake a new鈥 vaccine.鈥 The only thing鈥 they 鈥have to听鈥痙o is plug in the new 鈥痝enetic 鈥痵equence for the virus in question, and a new vaccine is born.鈥听
DNA (deoxyribonucleic鈥痑cid) is a stable, double-stranded molecule that stores our genetic information. It lives in the nucleus of our cells. But DNA 鈥肠补苍鈥檛听鈥痙o anything on its own. To create the proteins the body needs to grow and survive, DNA relies on RNA (ribonucleic acid).鈥赌听
RNA,鈥 a 鈥痵ingle strand of genetic material, 鈥痠mplements DNA鈥檚 instructions 鈥痶o build the proteins we need. Or, in the case of an mRNA vaccine,鈥诲辞苍鈥檛听鈥痭eed. The innovative mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna teach the immune system to remember one of the coronavirus鈥檚 most telling features鈥攊ts spike protein鈥攁nd prompt the creation of antibodies against it.鈥听
Why the 鈥渕鈥 before 鈥疪NA? There are鈥actually听鈥痶hree types of RNA, all of them key to building the proteins our bodies need for growth and day-to-day functioning.鈥 The 鈥渕鈥 variety is 鈥痬essenger RNA,鈥 the genetic messenger that 鈥痜erries instructions from DNA to the tiny protein factories, called ribosomes, that live in our cells.鈥听
The mRNA molecule is also temporary. Once it instructs the immune system to recognize and fight off鈥 a microbial 鈥痶hreat, 鈥it鈥檚听鈥痲uickly broken down and cleared by the 鈥body. That听鈥痬eans it鈥诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛鈥 hang around and cause trouble once its job is done.鈥听
The risks鈥 associated with the disease itself far outweigh鈥 the 鈥痳isks of鈥 the鈥 vaccine鈥檚鈥 side effects.鈥So听鈥痵ay the scientists involved with developing the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, those who conducted both early and ongoing clinical trials and those tracking the vaccine鈥檚 side effects.鈥听
Like all vaccines, the mRNA鈥 COVID鈥 shots have side effects. 鈥疶hese are overwhelmingly mild, such as a sore arm,鈥fatigue鈥 and a low-grade fever.鈥 Such side effects鈥 show that your immune system is working.鈥赌听
Extensive studies鈥 conducted 鈥痠n the U.S. and 鈥痮ther countries 鈥痜ound only a few serious ones. For example, the 鈥痭ew 鈥痸accines can cause 鈥痬yocarditis (inflammation of the鈥 heart 鈥痬uscle) 鈥痠n a small fraction of young men, and one study鈥 reported鈥 seven severe cases of shingles for every million shots administered.鈥赌听
These rare side effects, while deeply regrettable,鈥 are 鈥痠n line with 鈥痶he safety record of most other vaccines.鈥赌听
Be aware that COVID-19 itself causes myocarditis at much higher rates than the COVID vaccine.鈥赌听
Vaccine side effects among pregnant women 鈥痑re also uncommon.鈥 The mRNA COVID vaccines protect them from severe COVID. They鈥 also 鈥痯rompt the creation of antibodies that cross the placenta to protect 鈥痟er 鈥痓aby, before and after delivery.鈥 The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines act鈥痸ery much like other maternal vaccines,鈥 such as the Tdap vaccine (tetanus,鈥diphtheria听鈥痑nd pertussis)鈥 and even the annual flu shot.鈥听
鈥淲e still see hospitalizations and deaths from COVID every year,鈥 says Dr. Trip Gulick, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at 星空传媒, 鈥渕aking it even more important to stay current with your COVID booster shots.鈥濃听
The鈥 sheer 鈥痭ewness 鈥痮f 鈥痬RNA vaccine 鈥痶echnology, along鈥 with the speed of its development during a public health emergency, fueled plenty of skepticism early on.鈥 Skeptics continue to embrace a wide range of doubts and criticisms, many of which are 鈥痲uestionable鈥 or incorrect.鈥听
For example, some people fear that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine changes our鈥 DNA.鈥 That is impossible, scientists assert.鈥 mRNA only 鈥operates听鈥痠n the cytoplasm, the 鈥痺atery鈥 substance that fills our cells,鈥 where protein production takes place. 鈥痬RNA 鈥肠补苍鈥檛听鈥痚nter the鈥 cell鈥檚鈥 nucleus, where 鈥痮ur鈥 DNA is stored.鈥赌听
HHS leadership, too, has promoted outright falsehoods with respect to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, including the following statement: 鈥淥ne mutation and the vaccine鈥becomes听鈥痠neffective.鈥 That is incorrect. SARS-CoV-2 has already accumulated many mutations鈥攁lso known as variants鈥攁nd vaccine manufacturers continue to update the vaccines accordingly in the form of boosters.鈥听
See the following list of questions and answers per the professional journal RNA Biology, published in March 2022:鈥听
All vaccines undergo a rigorous development and approval process before they are made available to the public. After they're administered, ongoing monitoring for long-term safety is continued.听
Three decades of research and large-scale clinical trials have generated plenty of data on their safety and efficacy. mRNA vaccines 鈥痗an be designed in only a few weeks,鈥 and鈥 clinical trials 鈥痗an be conducted鈥 much 鈥痬ore quickly than usual鈥攃rucially important under emergency conditions.鈥听
There was early confusion in media reports鈥 that the spike protein鈥 on the surface of the 鈥痭ew鈥 coronavirus 鈥痠s the same as the spike protein that plays a role in the development of the placenta鈥 in pregnant women. 鈥疘t was falsely reported that the vaccines鈥 would generate an immune response against it. 鈥In actuality, there鈥檚听鈥痭o risk associated with 鈥痑dministering an mRNA鈥 COVID vaccine鈥 during pregnancy,鈥 and no adverse effects on fertility.鈥听
Aside from the synthetic mRNA-based spike protein, the 鈥痸accines are made of鈥 sucrose,鈥cholesterol鈥 and fats.鈥听
The鈥 vaccines鈥诲辞苍鈥檛鈥contain鈥 any metal components. Therefore, they鈥肠补苍鈥檛鈥 create a 鈥痬agnetic鈥 field anywhere in the body.鈥听
But 鈥all of鈥 these false claims aside, the COVID-19 vaccines鈥补谤别苍鈥檛鈥 perfect.鈥听
Years of research show鈥 that鈥 the鈥 protection鈥 conferred by鈥 COVID-19 vaccines鈥攂oth 鈥痶hose 鈥痬ade with mRNA and鈥 those鈥 based on 鈥痶raditional technology鈥攚anes 鈥痮ver time. The鈥 shots鈥 are most effective at preventing 鈥痵evere infection and death.鈥罢丑别测鈥檙别鈥 less effective at preventing mild-to-moderate infection.鈥听
Experts agree that we need better鈥 vaccines 鈥痗apable of鈥 protecting 鈥痑gainst both infection 鈥痑nd 鈥痵evere disease,鈥 as well as鈥 against a broad range of variants.鈥赌听
Today鈥檚 鈥痬RNA 鈥疌OVID-19 vaccines can be updated more quickly each year than traditional types, an advantage that now has multiple companies 鈥痟oping to develop鈥 other vaccines using鈥 mRNA 鈥痶echnology.鈥听
Specialists鈥 have鈥identified鈥numerous听鈥痠nfectious diseases that鈥 could鈥benefit鈥 from mRNA-based鈥 vaccines. But beyond vaccines, the technology offers a potential technique 鈥痜or developing new treatments for certain cancers. 鈥疓enetic diseases are another target, such as an experimental inhaled therapy for cystic fibrosis.鈥听
Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services鈥 (HHS) 鈥痗ut 22 mRNA vaccine research projects worth鈥nearly half鈥 a billion dollars鈥攃uts that would affect our ability to 鈥痗ope with鈥 future 鈥痯andemics.鈥奥别鈥d听鈥痑lso 鈥miss out on鈥 the opportunity to develop mRNA vaccines for 鈥痮ther diseases and improve the ones we already have.听
But in September 2025, decision-makers in the House of Representatives did an about-face, in direct opposition to HHS policy. In amending their 2026 spending bill, they mandated continued funding of mRNA vaccine research. The future of the technology and its benefits to humanity may be within reach after all.鈥听
Cutting research funding for mRNA vaccine research would be counterproductive. Doing so would compromise our ability to respond to viral threats like bird flu, which many public health experts see as the disease most likely to cause the next human pandemic.鈥听
HHS 鈥痩eadership鈥still supports a whole-killed virus approach to vaccine 鈥痙evelopment, a view bolstered by the belief that 鈥痶he spike protein produced by the mRNA鈥 vaccine鈥 is harmful on its own.鈥赌听
Whole-cell vaccines are based on a crude technology developed more than 100 years ago.鈥 They 鈥痷se the entire pathogen. As a result,鈥 they may expose the body to hundreds of antigens鈥痑t once. 鈥疉n antigen can be any foreign substance capable of provoking an immune response.鈥赌听
Whole-cell vaccines can鈥痑l so cause very strong reactions, including seizures and fevers in young children. Over the decades,鈥we鈥檝e听鈥痙eveloped 鈥痬uch 鈥痵impler, 鈥痬ore efficient鈥 vaccines 鈥痶hat contain only 鈥痑 few antigens. But the 鈥痭ewer vaccines鈥 are鈥 sometimes less protective than the cruder versions.鈥赌听
But that 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 mean we need to go back to the future.鈥听
The mRNA COVID-19鈥 vaccine鈥 is鈥 the most scrutinized vaccine in history, and the verdict is in: mRNA technology allows manufacturers to rapidly produce a鈥 safe, effective 鈥痸accine for the largest number of people.鈥听
As for its shortcomings, these can be mitigated via continued research.鈥赌听
mRNA technology constitutes the next wave of vaccine R&D. Our future demands 鈥痶hat we embrace it.鈥听