Why mRNA Vaccines Were Insanely Difficult to Make (it took 50 years!)

Why are vaccines so hard to make? The FDA approved two mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, but it was a challenge to make this type of vaccine work. In fact, it took decades of research to get us to the point where scientists could make those vaccines as quickly as they did! Learn all about it with Hank in this new episode of SciShow!

Hosted by: Hank Green

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[lorny]

Was watching scishow when I was still a young 12 year old student, and now a graduate in biochemistry. Thank you for instilling passion in science to all.

[lightbox]

I was taught about MRNA in high school in the mid 1960's. It took 50 or so years to figuer out how to use it. That ability has been around for nearly a decade. Every time someone tells me that the tech is too new to be trusted, I tell them this story. Not that it matters. As a race, we seem unable to to accept new ideas or ideas that are new to us.

[gregsettle]

I'm hoping this technology works in treating cancer. I'm a two-time cancer survivor and would love to see surgery, chemo, and radiotherapy become a thing of the past.

[danielm]

I know this comment is late to this video, but at the time of this video, someone I know was diagnosed with a Stage 3 hard-to-treat cancer, and she was able to be a part of one of these mRNA trials which put her cancer into remission.

Hope the research continues- it has amazing potential! ☺️

[pixicraft]

me seeing the title: wait it's been 50 years? no wonder quarantine felt this long

[AwesomeBoysJPTV]

People should watch this video and know that the reason that the vaccines were made that quick is not because of conspiracy theories, but it is because of 50 years of hardwork and dedication of scientists to make this mRNA vaccine and idea come to life!

Great Video

[kurtkennedy]

Wow. This answered literally every question I had about how RNA vaccines are different than previous ones. As always, thanks!

[davidcramer]

Hi Hank. I have become an aficionado of all your shows, including chemistry, biology etc. I am a retired engineer and this methodology for producing the vaccines is micro-engineering with gloopy stuff. I have enormous respect for the amazing hard work and sometimes genius that goes into medicinal chemistry. In fact, it saved my life when I was particularly sick at one time. Many thanks to your channels for producing all the easy to understand, yet technically deep stuff.

[CarlosBeo]

Or as my weird uncle would say: Look they've been planning this for decades...

[TenaciousBOD]

Helped me smash out a 3rd year biochem assignment in 3 hrs ezpz thanks man, also the references helped lots, would love if you flashed the reference as you were referring to something too that'd be epic

[JOHNCHENSJCA]

Thank you, SciShow, for making a timely topic succinct and easier to understand—with brevity! Thank you, Hank, for the usual attention retaining delivery! SciShow is a nice dive below the surface of the headlines. As a boomer, I’m happy to find a substitute for PBS Nova.

[kevinscanlon]

Well done, I am one of those scientists that has worked on mRNA since the 70’s. Delivery and selectivity of RNA therapeutics were the key challenges in the medical field. I was Co-Founder and Co-Editor of Cancer Gene Therapy.

[CyberiusT]

"proteins are all foldey and weird"
Man, that's burned into the memory, right beside "wibbley wobbley timey-wimey stuff".

[mjmulenga]

"Great science never happens in a vacuum."
International Space Station: "Am I a joke to you?"

[jamb]

No products ever made it through trials successfully enough to be a publicly available product in 50 years, then suddenly with only a few months of trials we were promoted as Safe & Effective.

[ZZ-sbos]

Thank you SciShow! SciShow was probably my 2nd or 3rd channel I ever favorited, back in the early days of YT, and since then I've recommended it to literally hundreds of people. You're almost at 1.5 billion views, keep up the awesome work!

[CrashingThunder]

I feel so grateful for all the scientists and researchers out there doing what they do. I just wish we would spend more of our society's money on research of all kinds so even more could get accomplished.

[l.mcmanus]

Getting genetic material into plant cells can be even more difficult because of cell walls. A lab I worked at during my undergrad used gold nano particles coated in DNA shot into the cell to get the job done. And it still did not always work.

[bobmcl]

They say that the definition of luck is when preparation meets opportunity. By that definition, we certainly were "lucky". Kudos to generations of scientists! And this video is magnificently written.

[jefnam]

I know it's standard for professional pieces, but I REALLY appreciate the sources in the description. And the video too. A wealth of information all in one spot, thanks SciShow!