They’re turning their backs on a technology thought to have saved millions of lives—with the potential to save many more.
This time five years ago, we were in the throes of the covid-19 pandemic. By August 2020, we’d seen school closures, national lockdowns, and widespread panic. That year, the coronavirus was responsible for around 3 million deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
Then came the vaccines. The first mRNA vaccines for covid were authorized for use in December 2020. By the end of the following month, over 100 million doses had been administered. Billions more have been administered since then. The vaccines worked well and are thought to have saved millions of lives.
Scientists hope to leverage mRNA for a bevy of vaccines and therapeutics.
The US government played an important role in the introduction of these vaccines, providing $18 billion to support their development as part of Operation Warp Speed.
