THE Moderna Covid-19 vaccine is a two-dose vaccine to prevent Covid-19. This Snapshot feature looks at the possible side effects and safety recommendations associated with this mRNA vaccine.
Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine, also known as mRNA-1273, is a two-dose vaccine. The doses are administered 28 days apart, and the vaccine trains the immune system to fight against future infections with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
Moderna’s vaccine has authorization for use in a total of 45 countries. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Trusted Source has issued this authorization for people in the United States aged 18 or older.
The vaccine has also been authorized for use across the European Union after a recommendation by the European Medicines Agency, as well as in Canada and the United Kingdom.
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Clinical trial data show that the vaccine has an efficacy of 94.1% at preventing symptomatic Covid-19.
Like the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the Moderna vaccine is an mRNA vaccine. While these two are the first mRNA vaccines to be authorized for use in humans, scientists have been researching this technology for many years.
An mRNA vaccine functions by providing the body with genetic information to produce viral or bacterial proteins, in this case, the spike protein found on the surface of SARS-CoV-2.
These proteins trigger an immune response and the production of specific antibodies, preparing the body to fight off an infection if it comes into contact with the pathogen in the future.
The vaccine only carries the information needed to make a small part of the virus. It does not contain the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and it cannot cause Covid-19.
Enzymes in our cells quickly degrade the mRNA molecules in the vaccine once the spike protein has been made. It is not possible for the vaccine to alter the body’s genetic information.
The clinical trials found that side effects were more commonly reported after the second dose and lasted around 2–3 days.
Among recipients of mRNA vaccines, however, there have been more frequent reports of side effects from people who have had the Moderna vaccine.
