How Pfizer and Moderna can update their mRNA vaccines for Omicron in 52 days
The emergence of the Omicron variant could mean existing vaccines won’t be as effective as they have been.
Deborah Fuller, a microbiologist who has been studying mRNA and DNA vaccines, explains how quickly the current vaccines can be updated.
Coronaviruses use spike proteins to attach to ACE-2 receptors on the surface of human cells and infect them. All mRNA COVID-19 vaccines work by giving instructions in the form of mRNA that direct cells to make a harmless version of the spike protein.
This then induces the human body to produce antibodies.
