Hungarian-born biochemist Katalin Karikó and American immunologist Drew Weissman found that a chemical change to genetic code called mRNA eliminated a problematic side effect when used in vaccines.
Lower-income countries did not get the COVID vaccines they needed. So the World Bank and other partners tapped a South African company to cook up the (undisclosed) recipe for the Moderna mRNA vaccine.
Tuberculosis kills 1.6 million a year — the second deadliest infectious disease after COVID-19. Using immune cells and mRNA technology, scientists in South Africa are working on a new vaccine.
Afrigen is the linchpin of global project to use mRNA technology to empower low-resource countries to make their own vaccines against killer diseases from TB to HIV. What will it take to succeed?
Pfizer and Moderna have refused to divulge details of how to make their cutting-edge COVID shots. Here's what two scientists — and longtime best friends — are doing about it.
There's serious concern about the effectiveness of vaccines against the omicron strain. But there's also reason to be hopeful — especially for those who've had a booster.
That's how some scientists describe the findings of a series of studies looking at the antibodies created by individuals who were infected by the coronavirus and then had an mRNA vaccine.
An open letter from 175 experts to President Biden made the ask. "We're not trying to be unreasonable," explains Dr. Paul Farmer, one of the signers. "We're trying to be optimistic and audacious."
Health officials are investigating reports of mostly mild, temporary and treatable heart inflammation that may or may not be causally linked to vaccination with an mRNA vaccine against COVID-19.
