What’s Inside the COVID vaccine? with Bill Gates

This is a question that has been on everyone’s minds this year (2021). We’ve all heard a little about what’s in this vaccine, but unless you’ve really done some research you won’t know the full story. For this video, we enlisted the help of Bill Gates. We were a little nervous, who wouldn’t be? It’s not everyday one gets to video call Bill Gates and ask about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Every year Bill and Melinda Gates write a letter giving their thoughts on key things that are happening around the world. You could say it’s a letter to the world. We’ve been reading their letters every year and think that this year’s letter, for 2021, was the best one yet. It primarily focuses on the pandemic. The letter is about taking what we’ve learned from this pandemic and figuring out what we can implement or do better for any future pandemics.

We asked Mr. Gates to give us a rundown on what is inside the COVID-19 vaccine, specifically mRNA, as well as what other applications can we use mRNA technology for?

He said that when the immune system identifies a foreign shape, it will know it needs to react to it very quickly. Vaccination then prepares the immune system to not take two or three days to make up its mind on whether that shape is self or foreign because it has seen it before combined with something that got it to pay attention.

For this vaccine, the idea was formed that instead of sending the shape into the immune system, why don’t we send instructions into the body. So mRNA is the term for the instructions that tell the body what proteins and what shapes to make. Then later when you are exposed to the virus your immune system will act so quickly that in most cases you will never get sick.

He also said that mRNA will be a platform for lots of future vaccines, whether that is for infectious diseases or fighting cancer.

Check out our video with Bill Gates to watch our full conversation.