**3.4 Myth #4: mRNA technology is brand new**

Perhaps the easiest myth to explain, let us state the historical fact: mRNA technology is not new, much less to fighting a pandemic. In fact, mRNA technology was pursued in vaccine research for quick response to a novel pathogen, such as Covid-19. The first studies using mRNA technology were in the 1990s. At the time, experts widely recognized that conventional vaccine types (e.g., live attenuated, subunit, etc.) were not always sufficient to combat pathogens capable of evading the adaptive immune response. Additionally, development and large-scale deployment were obstacles in the face of pandemic-speed response. Early reports showed that the introduction of mRNA could stimulate protein production and therefore antibody production via a disease-specific immune response. While early trials did hit roadblocks due to toxicity and delivery failures, recent advances such as RNA carriers and synthetic delivery have made mRNA engineering much more efficient. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, mRNA technology had been used in vaccine trials for cancer and other diseases for over a decade. However, the Covid-19 vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech are the first mRNA vaccines to receive FDA emergency use authorization. The crucial point here is that the technology is not experimental, has been excruciatingly vetted (see Myth #2), and will likely be a mainstay in vaccine development for future pandemics [22].

#### **Figure 4.**

*A diagram showing the mechanism by which various Covid-19 vaccines/vaccine candidates induce an immune response. Source: Reproduced from Gavi https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/there-are-four-types-covid-19 vaccines-heres-how-they-work under creative commons attribution 2.0. Licensee the Wellcome Trust: https:// wellcome.org/.*

#### **3.5 Myth #5: Covid-19 vaccines can alter your DNA**

This is a common misconception, likely stemming from the fact that certain vaccines utilize parts of viruses/bacterium as a vector or stimulus to jumpstart the immune system [23]. To give context, we first need to explain the different types of vaccines in use/development against Covid-19 (**Figure 4**).

## *3.5.1 mRNA*

The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines utilize mRNA technology. mRNA is a messenger bridge between DNA and protein synthesis. This process is of high relevance since Covid-19 virus surface proteins, particularly the spike protein, were identified early on. Thus, genetically engineered mRNA can be produced capable of instructing one's cells to make a partial piece of the spike protein that is completely harmless. By introducing raised levels of the spike protein fragments, the immune system will respond by making antibodies to the foreign particles. Upon infection with Covid-19, the body will have a large supply of antibodies ready to crush the virus. While the mRNA does influence body cells to produce protein fragments, it is rapidly degraded and does not enter the cells or influence DNA components [22].
