Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine

What it is

Comirnaty is the brand name of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by BioNTech, the Mainz biotechnology company, in collaboration with Pfizer, which contributed to clinical trials, manufacturing and distribution. On 2 December 2020 the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency granted it temporary emergency authorisation, the first for a COVID-19 vaccine in a Western country. Other regulators, including those in the United States and the European Union, followed within weeks.

How it works

Comirnaty is a messenger RNA vaccine. It contains nucleoside-modified mRNA that carries instructions for a modified version of the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, packaged in lipid nanoparticles that protect it and help it enter cells. Once injected, cells read the instructions and produce the spike protein for a short time. The immune system recognises the protein as foreign and builds antibodies and immune cells, so it is prepared if the real virus appears. The mRNA itself is broken down by the body.

Why it stands out

Comirnaty demonstrated the potential of mRNA vaccines on a global scale. BioNTech, founded by Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci, had been working on mRNA technology for cancer immunotherapy for years. That groundwork made it possible to design a vaccine candidate within weeks after the virus's genetic sequence was published and bring it to authorisation in less than a year. The success also turned BioNTech into one of the best-known German companies of the decade and gave new momentum to mRNA research.

Where you meet it

Comirnaty was administered in vaccination centres, doctors' surgeries and pharmacies around the world during the pandemic, and updated versions adapted to newer variants are still used in seasonal vaccination programmes.