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Confirmed: Largest review concludes mRNA COVID vaccines are safe

Billions of COVID-19 vaccine doses later, scientists have reached the same conclusion.

A major new review published in The Lancet has reaffirmed that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective after analyzing evidence from billions of doses administered worldwide.

Researchers found that serious side effects, including severe allergic reactions and myocarditis, are rare. More importantly, they concluded that the protection these vaccines provide against severe illness, hospitalization, and death consistently outweighs those risks.

The findings also held true for groups often considered more vulnerable, including pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems.

The review comes after years of public debate over mRNA technology, which was deployed on a global scale for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unlike traditional vaccines, mRNA vaccines deliver genetic instructions that teach the body's cells to temporarily produce a harmless piece of a virus. That prompts the immune system to build defenses without exposing a person to the virus itself. The mRNA is quickly broken down after delivering its instructions and does not alter a person's DNA.

Researchers say the technology could transform medicine beyond COVID-19.

Because mRNA vaccines can be designed and manufactured quickly, scientists are already using the platform to develop vaccines against influenza and RSV, while personalized cancer vaccines and other RNA-based therapies are also advancing through clinical trials.

The review notes that challenges remain, including high costs and the need for ultra-cold storage, which can limit access in lower-resource countries.

But after billions of doses and years of real-world data, the authors conclude that mRNA vaccines remain one of the safest and most effective tools developed to combat infectious diseases.

Learn more:

"Comprehensive review affirms that COVID mRNA vaccines are safe, effective." CIDRAP

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