Mayo Clinic Q&A: How Messenger RNA Vaccines Work

The first COVID-19 vaccines to reach the market are likely to be messenger RNA vaccines or mRNA. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mRNA vaccines work by teaching cells in the body how to make a protein that triggers an immune response. Unlike many vaccines that use a weakened or inactivated form of a virus, mRNA vaccines do not use the live virus that causes COVID-19. (Published 12/02/2020)