The two leading COVID-19 vaccines are mRNA-based, which is something that has been studied since the 90s, but has not yet been authorized for human use prior to 2020. Both Pfizer and Moderna have already applied for emergency use authorization for their COVID-19 vaccine candidates, and both use a process involving messenger RNA, or mRNA.

What exactly does that mean?

"It's similar not contrary but similar to how we do it before, we're just using a different way by using the mRNA versus using the actual virus," said Nicole Mertz, a Public Health Nurse for the Washoe County Health District. “It's not a live virus that we use that causes the COVID-19, but we use a piece of the COVID-19 and that's where the pharmacies used to create the vaccine that we are using so that it would trigger the immune response."

Basically, the vaccine transfers molecules of synthetic RNA into human cells. Once inside, the mRNA reprograms cells to produce foreign proteins that would normally be produced by a pathogen, like COVID-19 for example.

"It creates what they call a spike protein and what that spike proteins does is when the muscle cells produce that, it triggers your body to say that shouldn't be here and that creates an immune response," said Mertz.

Once absorbed by the cell, the mRNA is destroyed, and makes no actual changes to your DNA.  Once it's approved by the FDA and becomes widely available, health officials are urging the public to get vaccinated.

"It's so important that when we have a vaccine everyone get it so that we protect those who aren't as lucky to get the vaccine from getting sick."

Most of Reno locals we spoke with today are excited and ready to receive the vaccine.

"I'm excited for anything that could potentially stop us from having to live this way forever," said Reno resident Tiffany Hoffmann.

"I have full confidence in our scientific community, they do well by us," said Reno resident Betsy Thumann.

But Health Freedom Nevada, a group of parents who advocates for constitutional rights and religious freedoms when it comes to medical procedures, says they are worried about the state of the vaccine and the lack of liability by both the federal government and manufacturing companies if something should go wrong.

“What are the risks? With this vaccine, we really don't know what the risks are yet. We do know from the data with the virus itself what some of the risks are so that needs to be an individual choice and it always should be protected as an individual personal choice,” said Nancy Jones, board member for Health Freedom Nevada. “It's not something I would make a choice to get. I don't think it's smart and I don't think it's wise. We have very limited safety data and there will be zero safety surveillance.”

"It hasn't properly been researched, and so I'd rather not be the guinea pig myself," said Health Freedom Nevada board member Jamie Hepworth.

Some of the public says not getting vaccinated could cost lives.

They are putting their neighbors at risk, they are putting their relatives at risk, their family at risk because they are not taking the vaccine," said Thumann.

For more information about the vaccine through Pfizer, you can click here: https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-conclude-phase-3-study-covid-19-vaccine

For more information about the vaccine through Moderna, you can click here: https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-announces-primary-efficacy-analysis-phase-3-cove-study

For more information about vaccines from the CDC, you can click here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines.html

To find out more about the group Health Freedom Nevada, you can click here: https://www.healthfreedomnevada.com/