Lawmakers in several US states have introduced bills to ban or restrict vaccines that use messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, despite its potential to treat and prevent serious diseases. This move is a massive misstep, as the science behind mRNA vaccines is sound.
MRNA vaccines work by sending a message to the immune system, showing it how to recognize a protein associated with a harmful virus. The vaccine itself doesn’t contain the virus, so patients aren’t at risk of contracting it. These vaccines also don’t change recipients’ DNA and lack the key enzyme that enables them to do so.
The antipathy toward mRNA vaccines is partly driven by the ongoing culture war over COVID-19. However, new science suggests that mRNA vaccines have unique characteristics that can help combat difficult-to-treat diseases like pancreatic cancer. A recent study found that personalized mRNA vaccines can significantly reduce the chance of recurrence in patients with this disease.
MRNA technology also holds promise for other cancers, infectious diseases, and genetic disorders. Additionally, it could speed up drug development timelines by devising the genetic code within days or weeks. By embracing mRNA medicines, the US should not be blocking patients from using them.
Sally C. Pipes is President, CEO, and Thomas W. Smith Fellow in Health Care Policy at the Pacific Research Institute.
Source: https://journalrecord.com/2025/06/13/the-next-cancer-breakthrough-some-lawmakers-want-to-ban-it