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How the COVID-19 vaccines work

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Here is a step-by-step description of the process, written with guidance from University of Pennsylvania scientist Drew Weissman, whose work with former colleague Katalin Karikó, now at BioNTech, helped make the vaccines possible.

1. The person administering the shot depresses the syringe into the recipient's arm, injecting billions of tiny spheres made of waxy molecules called lipids. Each one contains several copies of the RNA blueprint for making the spike on a coronavirus particle.
1. The person administering the shot depresses the syringe into the recipient's arm, injecting billions of tiny spheres made of waxy molecules called lipids. Each one contains several copies of the RNA blueprint for making the spike on a coronavirus particle.Read moreDominique DeMoe / Staff artist
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