Even though the pharmaceutical industry has been working with mRNA technology since the 1970s, 28% of Americans say they didn’t know what an mRNA vaccine was before they heard about the COVID-19 vaccines. Now, over one in five (23%) say they understand the difference between how an mRNA vaccine (Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech) and viral vector vaccine (J&J) works.
However, nearly one in five (17%) Americans say they still don’t understand what an mRNA vaccine is or how it works — in this way, companies looking to expand their mRNA product pipeline must invest in more public education resources to see the commercial pay-off and get consumers on board with this new technology.