Vaccines are commonly used as a preventative measure against harmful diseases, thus protecting the human body from life-altering illnesses and, in some cases, death. Typically, vaccines contain weakened or inactive portions of a certain antigen, which triggers an immune response within the body. By introducing a small amount of an invading organism, the human body can attack a foreign substance and develop antibodies against this specific pathogen. If the dangerous disease-causing microorganism were to attack in the future, the immune system would be prepared to recognize and fight off the pathogen before it has the chance to infect the human body.

The development of vaccines, however, has drastically changed in the wake of the lethal SARS-CoV-2 virus. Scientists raced against the clock to curate a vaccine for this deadly virus and finally developed a solution merely 12 months after the World Health Organization (WHO) labeled the coronavirus outbreak as a global health emergency. On average, vaccines take 5-10 years to develop, making the creation of the COVID19 vaccine incredibly unique and a testament to the efforts and capabilities of medical technology in the face of extreme urgency.

So, how is the COVID19 vaccine composition different from the structure of other vaccines? The first approved vaccination against the coronavirus, developed by Pfizer, relies on messenger RNA (mRNA) to fight off the infectious disease. Instead of introducing a weakened portion of a germ into the body, mRNA vaccines instruct cells to make a protein that prompts an immune response. Without altering or interacting with an individual’s DNA, this reaction creates antibodies within the human body, thus preventing the virus from causing infection upon exposure. The COVID19 mRNA vaccine directs cells to create a harmless version of what is known as the “spike protein” found on the surface of the virus. Once the cells have created this protein – or a piece of it – they break down and eliminate the mRNA instructions. Next, the protein appears on the cell’s surface, allowing the immune system to recognize the foreign protein and prepare an immune response to eliminate it. Thus, antibodies are created and protect against future infection.

While the use of mRNA vaccines is fairly recent, researchers have been studying them for decades. Compared to other vaccines, mRNA vaccines have the benefit of the use of non-infectious components, shorter development periods, and the possibility of attacking multiple diseases at once.