Results from a Phase 3 clinical trial involving over 43,000 participants of an mRNA-based vaccine candidate called BNT162b2 show that it is 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 infections. The vaccine is a joint venture between Pfizer and BioNTech. Patients received 2 doses of the mRNA vaccine and there have been no indications of severe side effects thus far.
BNT162b2 is a segment of mRNA, an instruction-set that tells your cells how to make proteins. The mRNA enters human cells, and the cells will create and secrete proteins that are encoded by the mRNA. Pfizer and BioNTech tested 4 different mRNA sequences to see which created the most effective and safe immunogens to help the body’s immune system learn how to create T-cells and antibodies that could fight off the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Note: mRNA is not taking over cells nor is it re-writing any of the host cell’s DNA. It is only getting translated into immunogenic proteins to help the body learn how to defend itself against the real SARS-CoV-2 virus. We need two doses in order to generate an immune response large enough so that people gain immunity from the virus as the mRNA degrades quickly.
Sources:
