What is an mRNA vaccine?
Quick Answer
An mRNA vaccine gives your cells temporary instructions to make a harmless piece of a germ's protein, training your immune system to recognise the real thing.
The Full Story
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is the molecule cells use to carry instructions from DNA to the protein-making machinery. An mRNA vaccine delivers a short strand of mRNA, wrapped in tiny fatty particles called lipid nanoparticles, into cells. The cells read it, make a harmless protein fragment such as the coronavirus spike protein, and the immune system learns to recognise it. The mRNA does not enter the cell nucleus or change DNA, and it breaks down within days. The first mRNA vaccine was authorised in December 2020 for COVID-19, and Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for key discoveries that made it possible.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"A recipe, not the virus: how mRNA vaccines teach your body to fight."