How a vaccine became one of the most significant technological achievements of 2021.
The development of the mRNA vaccine — a breakthrough in its field, instructing cells to produce their own protection without the risk of giving someone the virus — was fast and furious, made possible through rapid genome sequencing.
Research continued. By the end of 2019, American biotechnology company Moderna and Germany’s BioNTech , had been researching mRNA flu vaccines for several years. This work put them in a position to respond quickly when COVID-19 emerged. Within mere hours of Chinese scientists posting the coronavirus’ genetic sequence in January 2020, BioNTech had developed its mRNA vaccine. Days later, Moderna had its own.
It’s been a “game changer,” says Tom Kenyon, chief health officer at Project HOPE and former director of global health at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he spent more than two decades combating global diseases. In comparison with other pandemics, such as HIV, “the science in COVID-19 has moved much faster,” Kenyon says, because “all that research and investment has paid off. These are vaccines that give very strong immunity, which we never had in previous attempts.
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