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Vaccines against COVID-19: Priority to mRNA-Based Formulations
1Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Zürich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland.
Cells
|October 23, 2021
Summary
Globally, 21 COVID-19 vaccines utilize inactivated virus, protein, adenovirus, DNA, or messenger RNA (mRNA) platforms. mRNA vaccines, authorized rapidly, are highlighted as a superior format for pandemic control.
Area of Science:
- Vaccinology
- Infectious Diseases
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Twenty-one anti-COVID-19 vaccines were approved globally by September 2021.
- Vaccine development accelerated to combat the ongoing pandemic.
- Approved vaccines employ diverse platforms: inactivated virus, protein, recombinant adenovirus, DNA, and messenger RNA (mRNA).
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe various COVID-19 vaccine formats.
- To detail the three primary formats used in Europe, Canada, and the USA.
- To discuss the advantages of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines.
Main Methods:
- Review of approved COVID-19 vaccine formats.
- Comparative analysis of vaccine technologies.
- Discussion of vaccine deployment and efficacy.
Main Results:
- Eight inactivated virus, four protein-based, six adenovirus, one DNA, and two mRNA vaccines were approved.
- Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines achieved authorization in 2020 in the EU, USA, and Switzerland.
- Protein, adenovirus, and mRNA vaccines are predominantly used in Western countries.
Conclusions:
- Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines represent a rapidly developed and authorized platform.
- mRNA vaccines are presented as a potentially superior format for managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The diversity of vaccine platforms highlights significant advancements in vaccinology.
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