The federal government’s decision to slash $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine research has sparked concern among health experts.

Research shows mRNA vaccines saved millions of lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Health and Human Services plans to cancel contracts and pull funding for some vaccines being developed to fight respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and the flu.

A fourth dairy worker in the U.S. has been infected with bird flu.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is announcing $40 million in funding to help develop messenger RNA vaccines in Africa.

Two scientists have won the Nobel Prize in medicine for discoveries that enabled the creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 and that could be used to develop other shots in the future.

The COVID pandemic required a rapid response from scientists, bringing vaccine technology that had been studied for years front and center.

China is trying to navigate its biggest coronavirus outbreak without a tool it could have adopted many months ago, the kind of vaccines that have proven to offer the best protection against the worst outcomes from COVID-19.

Although there’s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the new Omicron COVID-19 variant, health officials say that early data indicates the mRNA vaccines are still proving to be effective.

Pharmaceutical company BioNTech says it wants to use the mRNA technology behind its coronavirus vaccine to target malaria.

The world’s leading COVID-19 vaccines may offer lasting protection that diminishes the need for frequent booster shots.

In a rare acknowledgement, China’s top disease control official says current vaccines offer low protection against the coronavirus and mixing them is among strategies being considered to boost their effectiveness.

On Wednesday, we focused on the topic viewers asked about the most -- getting the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. One viewer, in particular, asked for a comparison of the safety of the available vaccines, including newer ones, like Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine. Over 10,000 women have received it, and we have not seen any significant pregnancy complications related to the vaccines,” Ramsey said. Pregnant KSAT viewers wanted to know more about the newer Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which was recently authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. We all believe it’s going to be a safe vaccine,” Ramsey said.

SAN ANTONIO – Like so many other internet claims on the COVID-19 vaccine, the claim that the injection will alter your DNA has been widely shared and discussed on social media. Two medical experts, Dr. Bryan Alsip, chief medical officer at University Health System, and Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist at UT Health San Antonio, have said this claim is NOT TRUE . “The mRNA does not enter the nucleus of our cells. The mRNA does not change a person’s DNA through this process. Some San Antonio teachers, school employees to get COVID-19 vaccine this week through University Health

SAN ANTONIO – People who have been inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine during its massive, nation-wide rollout can still donate blood and platelets, according to health officials. Beddard said the COVID-19 vaccines are not made from the virus that causes COVID-19. These vaccines cause that response.”She urged people to donate blood or platelets during a time when organizations typically see a dip in the number of donors. Because the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are mRNA vaccines, the deferral period does not apply in this instance. The U.S. has approved two COVID-19 vaccines, one from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, and the other from Moderna.

“I think the first thing to understand about the vaccine is that it’s a killed vaccine, meaning that you can’t get the coronavirus disease from the vaccine itself. That’s the seasonal flu vaccine and the whooping cough vaccination, and we know those to be very safe for pregnant women and breastfeeding women,” Dr. Shields said. “Unfortunately, the coronavirus vaccine trials did not include pregnant women or breastfeeding women. But from what we know to date, the SARS-CoV-2virus, which causes coronavirus disease, can cause serious illness in pregnant women. Despite all these significant risks, there’s only about 8% of women who will actually get severe coronavirus illness in pregnancy,” Dr. Shields said.

The rollout for the COVID-19 vaccine is underway across Texas. The Pfizer vaccine is recommended for people aged 16 years and older, while the Moderna vaccine is recommended for people aged 18 years and older. The Pfizer vaccine is in vials that hold five doses of the vaccine, whereas the Moderna vaccine is in 10-dose vials. Health care providers must enroll with the state as a COVID-19 vaccine provider to be eligible to receive the vaccine. H-E-B announced it will also participate in a federal program for COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

How could scientists race out COVID-19 vaccines so fast without cutting corners? A head start helped -- over a decade of behind-the-scenes research that had new vaccine technology poised for a challenge just as the coronavirus erupted. Both shots -- one made by Pfizer and BioNTech, the other by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health -- are so-called messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines, a brand-new technology. U.S. regulators are set to decide this month whether to allow emergency use, paving the way for rationed shots that will start with health workers and nursing home residents. Traditionally, making vaccines required growing viruses or pieces of viruses — often in giant vats of cells or, like most flu shots, in chicken eggs — and then purifying them before next steps in brewing shots.

However, people also have some concerns about what the vaccine contains, its side effects and when they’ll be able to get it. The current coronavirus vaccine focuses on mRNA, or messenger RNA, which is found in your body. As for side effects of the vaccine, Berggren said they’re similar to those of a flu shot. Metro Health discusses planBerggren said most side effects of any vaccine are going to be apparent within about six weeks. So when it’s your turn to get the vaccine, Berggren says to make an appointment and don’t show up late.