Explainer: How Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine works

The video explains how mRNA vaccines, like Pfizer's, use a genetic blueprint to instruct cells to produce a harmless spike protein, simulating a coronavirus infection and triggering an immune response. Lipid nanoparticles protect and deliver the mRNA to cells, where ribosomes produce the spike protein, prompting the body to build immunity.

What does mRNA stand for in the context of vaccines?

• Modified RNA

• Molecular RNA

• Messenger RNA

• Mitochondrial RNA

What is the primary function of lipid nanoparticles in mRNA vaccines?

• To enhance the taste of the vaccine

• To protect mRNA from degradation

• To increase the vaccine's shelf life

• To change the color of the vaccine

Where does the mRNA deliver its genetic instructions within the cell?

• Cell membrane

• Cytoplasm

• Mitochondria

• Nucleus

What does the spike protein do once it is produced by the ribosomes?

• It causes the cell to divide

• It destroys the cell

• It remains inactive

• It triggers an immune response

How does the body respond to the spike protein displayed on the cell surface?

• By producing more spike proteins

• By causing inflammation

• By mounting an immune response

• By ignoring it