The Moderna vaccine should be stored at temperatures between -25 and -15 degrees Celsius. The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine should be stored at -80 and -60 degrees Celsius. The vaccine produced by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca can withstand refrigeration temperatures. Why should the first vaccines be stored at extremely cold temperatures?
The reason has to do with a very important component: messenger RNA (mRNA). The RNA in the vaccine is genetic material that teaches immune cells how to produce the "spike" protein found in the virus that causes Covid, Health explains. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), our immune system responds by creating antibodies against this specific protein.
By nature, RNA molecules are unstable - if they stay suspended for long periods of time, our cells can accumulate harmful levels of proteins that help. "MRNA degrades rapidly. There are also enzymes in and around us that destroy mRNA, ”Lisa Morici, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the School of Medicine at the University of Tulane, told Health.
Vaccine manufacturers also coat mRNA in lipid nanoparticles. These tiny fat bubbles help carry mRNA into our cells and provide a degree of protection against enzymes that can destroy fragile genetic material. Nanoparticles are functional at cold temperatures.
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