In late November 2023, regulatory authorities in Japan approved a new SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Unlike earlier messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines used to protect against COVID-19, this one relies on a technology called self-amplifying mRNA, or saRNA. Though researchers have long pursued saRNA-based vaccines, this represents the first full approval for the technology in humans and marks an exciting advance in the ongoing development of mRNA vaccines.
Continue reading for an overview of how saRNA vaccines work and some of their advantages relative to standard mRNA vaccines.
