Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines are a groundbreaking type of vaccine that harnesses the body's natural processes to generate an immune response against specific pathogens, like viruses.

Unlike traditional vaccines, which contain weakened or inactivated pathogens, mRNA vaccines deliver genetic instructions to cells, prompting them to produce a protein from the targeted pathogen.

This protein stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies, priming it to recognize and fight off future infections.

They do not alter DNA and are rapidly degraded by cells, posing no risk of genetic changes.

Picture credit: World Health Organisation