MODERNA VACCINE

Subject : Science & tech

Context : After Pfizer, US biotech company Moderna said on Monday that its candidate for Covid-19 vaccine is nearly 95% effective in preventing the viral disease.

Concept :

• As per the company current projections, it will produce 20 million of Covid-19 vaccines doses by the end of this year.
• Moderna data also showed the vaccine was capable of helping prevent severe cases of Covid-19, and it represented volunteers from diverse communities.
• The Indian government is in dialogue with both domestic and international vaccine manufacturers like Pfizer, Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadila for their Covid-19 vaccine candidate in terms of safety, immunogenicity and efficacy.

mRNA 123 :

• mRNA-1273 is the working name of Moderna’s vaccine. It is currently under the aegis of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a part of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).
• The mRNA means the messenger RNA. This carries the carries the genetic formula for the coding of a specific protein.
• The mRNA is a molecule that genetically encodes a set of instructions, based on which cells make proteins and send them to various parts of the body.
• Vaccines based on mRNA technology take advantage of normal biological processes of the body to create the desired therapeutic effect.