Why are mRNA vaccines effective? Elizabeth Tracey reports

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The technology that produced the vaccines against Covid relies on a type of RNA known as messenger RNA. Johns Hopkins vaccine expert Anna Durbin explains why utilizing this approach stimulates an effective immune response.

Durbin: What we like about mRNA vaccines is that protein is being produced in your cells and being shown to your immune system the way the natural spike protein of COVID is so you get an immune response very similar to a live attenuated vaccine response. Because the mRNA isn't around for very long you don't get as strong an immune response as you would with a live attenuated vaccine and people are looking at second generation mRNA vaccines to get a better immune response.     :33

Multiple advantages to using mRNA include its ability to be quickly modified as the virus undergoes genetic changes and a relatively straightforward manufacturing process, especially as compared to flu vaccines. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.