6.2 mRNA-based Vaccines
The mRNA vaccine is a hopeful alternative to traditional vaccine methods in virtue of its high efficiency, rapid development capabilities, and the potential for low-cost manufacturing (Pardi et al., 2018). Recently, Moderna, Inc. has launched phase I clinical trials for mRNA-1273, which encodes S protein of SARS-CoV-2. This mRNA-vaccine was fabricated with the cooperation of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (MOERNA, 2020). mRNA-1273, which encodes a prefusion-stabilized form of the SARS-CoV-2 spike, is under test for a broad dosing range (25- 250 micrograms) during its phase 1 submission (Hodgson, 2020). The firm further announced that although commercial vaccines are unlikely to be marketed in at least 12 to 18 months, in an emergency, possibly in the fall of 2020, some people, including medical professionals, may obtain the vaccine (MOERNA, 2020).