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What Is An mRNA Vaccine?

WAMU 88.5 | By Emmanuel Johnson
Published November 24, 2020 at 2:41 PM CST
Pfizer is among the leading companies who claim their mRNA vaccine is more than 90 percent effective against coronavirus.
Pfizer is among the leading companies who claim their mRNA vaccine is more than 90 percent effective against coronavirus.

Since the start of the pandemic, the race to create an effective coronavirus vaccine has moved fast. If successful, these vaccine efforts would be the fastest developed in history. So far, the two leading companies developing a potential vaccine, Pfizer and Moderna, claim their mRNA vaccines are over 90 percent effective. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford have announced another vaccine with promising results.

Now, Pfizer is submitting an emergency use authorization request to the FDA as rates of infection and deaths rise higher than ever. That request could make the vaccine available for use in high-risk populations here in the U.S. by the end of December.

But what is an mRNA vaccine? Why was this one able to be released so quickly?

We’re answering your questions and giving you the latest update on the race for a coronavirus vaccine.

Copyright 2021 WAMU 88.5. To see more, visit WAMU 88.5.

Emmanuel Johnson