What is in the Moderna Vaccine – What is mRNA?
The Moderna vaccine, an mRNA vaccine developed by Moderna in collaboration with the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), is one of the most advanced vaccines yet. It uses a revolutionary technology called messenger RNA (mRNA) to activate the body’s own defenses against the deadly COVID-19 virus.
mRNA vaccines are different from traditional vaccines because they don’t use weakened or killed versions of the virus to create immunity. Instead, they use bits of the virus’s genetic code to trigger the body’s immune response. This has made them a powerful tool in fighting off diseases like COVID-19.
What is mRNA?
At its core, mRNA is a type of genetic material made up of a single strand of instructions that allow instructions to be passed from one cell to another. In this case, the instructions are designed to make a specific protein, called a spike protein, the building block for the COVID-19 virus. The body recognizes the spike protein and then produces antibodies to fight it off.
This technology has been used to make other vaccines, such as mumps and influenza, but it is the first time it is being used to create a vaccine against a novel virus like the one that causes COVID-19.
How is the Moderna Vaccine Developed?
Moderna’s vaccine is made up of four components: a lipid nanoparticle, an enzyme, a stabilizer, and the mRNA molecule encoding the spike protein.
The lipid nanoparticle is an artificial delivery system for the mRNA, coating it and protecting it from degradation. This ensures that the message is successfully delivered to the cells, where it can be read and turned into protein.
The enzyme helps to activate the mRNA so that the protein can be made. The stabilizers help to keep the vaccine stable and free from damage by environmental factors, like temperature and humidity.
Once these components are combined, the mRNA vaccine is shipped off to vaccine manufacturing sites, where the remaining production steps take place. This includes quality control testing, final formulation, and packaging into vials that are ready for shipping and distribution.
Conclusion
The C-19 virus has been around now for almost a year and has wreaked havoc on the world and our lives. The Moderna vaccine, then, is one of the only glimmers of hope in this fight against the pandemic. Using the revolutionary technology of mRNA, the Moderna vaccine is responding strongly with an impressive efficacy rate and promising results. While there is still some ways to go before it can be widely distributed, it’s safe to say that this mRNA vaccine is an important step in the fight against the virus.