Public Perception and Communicating the Potential and Safety of mRNA

Peter Marks, MD, PhD, stresses the need for the scientific community to clarify to the public that the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines did not compromise safety protocols. Constanze Blume, PhD, agrees, noting that healthcare professionals and authorities should educate the public on the safety and efficacy of mRNA therapies. Fouad Atouf, PhD, focuses on several aspects of public communication, including safety, efficacy, and addressing misinformation, and points out the opportunity to leverage lessons from the COVID-19 vaccines to illustrate the public health benefits of mRNA technology. Kenneth Chien, MD, PhD, highlights the broad applicability of mRNA for various diseases, while acknowledging that the technology is still in its early stages, with much work to be done until its full potential can be realized.

Discussion Topics

• 0:00:08 - Communicating the safety and efficacy of mRNA technology to the public, addressing misinformation, and highlighting the public health benefits
• 0:02:32 - The importance of healthcare professionals and authorities in educating the public on the opportunities and safety of mRNA therapies
• 0:03:40 - The potential of mRNA technology, the need for further advancements, and drawing analogies to the IT sector
• 0:05:36 - The safety and delivery of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, and the potential for streamlining regulatory pathways for rare disease applications