SO , WHAT ARE mRNA VACCINES ?
Coronaviruses , like the one that causes COVID-19 , are named for the crown-like spikes on their surface , called spike proteins . These spike proteins are the basis of several major mRNA COVID-19 vaccines , including those made by Pfizer and Moderna .
The idea behind using a vaccine to prime a body ’ s immune system dates back to 1796 when Edward Jenner first developed the smallpox vaccine . To trigger an immune response , many vaccines introduce a weakened or inactivated germ into our bodies . In contrast , mRNA vaccines use synthetic mRNA , created by scientists in a lab , to instruct our cells to make a protein which then triggers an immune response inside our bodies . This immune response , which produces antibodies , is what protects us from getting sick when and if the real virus enters our bodies .