Moderna’s mRNA vaccine is proof of concept for an entirely new type of protection
mRNA vaccines instructs cells to produce many substances that allow the body to function, they essentially turn cells into tiny drug factories
The world now seems likely to have at least two effective vaccines against Covid-19 with the announcement of positive early data from Moderna Therapeutics’s 30,000-person clinical trial. The result comes a week after Pfizer and BioNTech revealed a protection rate of more than 90% against disease. Moderna slightly one-upped its rivals, estimating that its shot is 94.5% effective at preventing Covid-19. Both results are highly impressive for inoculations developed at historic speed.
The second success is crucial. Manufacturing constraints mean the world needs multiple vaccines if it hopes to contain the virus. However, as promising as the vaccine news is for the fight against Covid-19, it also offers hope for our ability to respond more quickly to future pandemics. Both leading vaccines use the same promising messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, and their combined excellent early results suggest the world has a crucial new tool to respond quickly to diseases...
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