How could scientists race out COVID-19 vaccines so fast without cutting corners? “Abject giddiness," is how Dr. C. Buddy Creech, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert, described scientists’ reactions when separate studies showed the two candidates were about 95% effective. Both shots -- one made by Pfizer and BioNTech, the other by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health -- are so-called messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines, a brand-new technology. Fifteen years ago, Weissman’s lab was trying to harness mRNA to make a variety of drugs and vaccines. Moderna also was using mRNA to develop vaccines against other germs including the mosquito-borne Zika virus -- research showing promise but that wasn’t moving rapidly since the Zika outbreak had fizzled.

Source: Mint December 07, 2020 15:45 UTC