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They are both messenger RNA vaccines, so it's more like comparing two types of apples. But thank you for your sarcastic response, very helpful.
by overcast 6y ago
They are both messenger RNA vaccines, so it's more like comparing two types of apples. But thank you for your sarcastic response, very helpful.
- tempestn 6y agoThe issue is that mRNA is only a tiny fraction of the vaccine by weight. The rest is made up of the lipids that hold it, plus stabilizers and such. The ratio of those to the mRNA core varies between the two vaccines. So comparing their weights is meaningless. The fact that Moderna's dose is several times larger doesn't mean you're getting several times as much mRNA. Hence, it's like comparing the weights of two different foods with different calorie densities - ie, apples and cheese.
- DrAwdeOccarim 6y agoThe microgram dose refers only to the mRNA, not the lipids, stabilizers, and such. You're right that is is only a tiny fraction of the vaccine by weight, but the dose mass refers only to the mRNA amount. So you are getting 3.33x more mRNA in the Moderna vaccines compared to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
- tempestn 6y agoAh, thank you for that correction. In retrospect I should have realized that since 100mcg is a tiny amount.