Safety and efficacy of mRNA vaccines: mechanistic and public health perspective
This article reviews the mechanistic and public health evidence on mRNA vaccine safety and efficacy, analyzing data from clinical trials and real-world use to assess their role in infectious disease prevention.
Background
- This is a 2025 *Lancet* paper offering a comprehensive review of mRNA vaccine safety and efficacy, covering both the underlying biology (mechanistic perspective) and real-world population data (public health perspective).
- It is likely addressing lingering debate about rare adverse events (e.g., myocarditis, pericarditis) linked to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (e.g., Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna), and weighing those against the vaccines' documented benefits in preventing severe COVID-19.
- *The Lancet* is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious general medical journals; a review article of this scope from *The Lancet* carries significant weight in scientific and policy circles.
- The article probably synthesises evidence accumulated since the vaccines' emergency-use authorisation in late 2020, aiming to settle ongoing controversies around their risk-benefit profile.