How mRNA Vaccines Work | A Doctor Explains

How can we spin up a new COVID vaccine platform so fast, and how might it still be safe and effective? Time for some Science 101!

[shelby]

Dr. Damania,

thanks for reading the trials, talking the safety data, limitations of the study, methods of the study, and being one of those people we trust.

Love you right back,
ZPack

[michaelmaston]

So now they call "Messenger" and not "Modified" now? Just change the terms. Doesn't alter my opinion.

[kneegrease]

Half of what you said went over my head and the other half went way over.

[Kramp]

Questions:
1. Why not synthesize the protein and inject that to create the immune response?
2. What are the chances of the mRNA mutating once inside the cell?
3. What tells the ribosomes stop building the spike protein?

[jasonpettet]

Just a side note. Excellent description of cell membrane.
A electrical capacitor. Conductive, dielectric (non-conductive), conductive layers. We are electric at every level.

[imwithstupid]

How can you be an expert with no experience of a product?

[Katie-lymu]

"So how can we hack nature? ✨😄✨" nerdiest MD quote i eva heard, i love it

[johncarey]

What I love about this is you are not reading it off a script or using notes You are speaking from a profound knowledge and you are breaking it down so that a dummy like me can understand it Thank You.

[brightchange]

"A Doctor Explains" ---- Where did we get this idea that unless you are a virologist or epidemiologist that you can't possibly understand facts and data and come to very accurate conclusions on these matters ... "he's an attorney, not a doctor". So dismiss him entirely ...

[jjncello]

There may be a couple of people who don’t know what base pairs are and what that means for translation, but thanks for trying to make this understandable to as many as possible.

[IanJMatchett]

Grossly oversimplified. Completely Excellent.

[juliegale]

Another fantastic mini lecture. I am sat here with 3 shots of this stuff in me. I reckoned that at 86 it was too late to worry that it was new plus I did my share of testing in the field. The chemistry of the cell is an amazing subject to encapsulate without diagrams, well done again.

[jossfangirl]

None of this has been studied for long term damage to the human body.

[damonjones]

this isnt 1940, polio vaccine was mostly good. but how about data on unvaccinated vs vaccinated...my family has both sides and the healthiest are like to see how modern medicine actually contributes to actual health instead of making dependants of a sickening species

[trudyanrep]

Also explain why young males are getting Myocarditis, Endocarditis, Pericarditis post Covd vaxcination

[gryffynda]

I had learned in class the the mRNA is in the cytoplasm OUTSIDE the nucleus. In regular protein production the mRNA exits the nucleus to the cytoplasm where it is transcribed into a protein.

[Saitama]

It's not going to re-write my DNA and make me into a chimera? Darn, I wanted to become a centaur! X-D

[katecompton]

This was absolutely great...loved the biology review...will be sharing and definitely showing to my daughters--one taking high school Biology now. :)

[michaelhildebrand-faust]

Thank you. This is a great, detailed explanation of the science!
QUESTION: You explain that with the mRNA technique, the body's cells replicate the spike proteins, but then the body recognizes them as "foreign". Can you provide more detail on how the immune system discriminates between various substances it encounters? What causes the body to "recognize the substance as foreign" when it is produced by the body itself?

[sonymisri]

You are amazing! Thank you for such a informative and fun explanation about how mRNA works. I love the way you explained it and it makes so much sense to me. From the looks of it, sounds like this video was made before the final phase of the vaccine were in the books so I imagine you took the vaccine. As a RN trying to explain this process to my patients and family, you broke it down in a way I understand and can re-explain. Thank you. Love that energy and enthusiasm. Also, love “science the crap out of it” cup....priceless. Thank you again. The best explanation so far.