What are mRNA vaccines?

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Traditional vaccines inject a weakened or dead virus in the body for the immune system to build a defence against the particular virus. Vaccines are a training ground in which the immune system learns about the virus before the body contracts the virus in the real world. Think of it as mock tests that you give before the actual test; you can make as many mistakes as you like in mock tests because it preps you up for the actual test.

Technically, the body can build a defence against the virus even when the body contracts the virus naturally. But you don’t know how severe the infection would be, how badly it will affect your body organs, so that’s why vaccines are a safe bet to train the immune system to kill a pathogen without affecting your body or organs.

mRNA vaccines: how they function

mRNA (Messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccines are better than traditional vaccines; they don’t use a weakened or dead virus but instead introduce mRNA in the body. This mRNA, once inside the body, instructs the cells to make spike proteins. These spike proteins are the same that are found on the surface of the real virus. The harmless spike proteins give a blueprint of the real virus to the immune system so that in the future if the immune system comes across the virus, the immune system is prepared to destroy the virus.

Moderna, BioNTech have made mRNA vaccines. These mRNA vaccines carry limited information for cells to make protein and not the COVID-19 virus. These vaccines are safe; take vaccines when you get a chance to because it’s our best bet against the virus. And along with the vaccine, wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash hands at regular intervals.

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