Kati grew up in Hungary, and knew from a young age that she wanted to be a scientist. She attended the Science Olympics at 14 (and came in third). She earned a PhD, got married, and had a daughter, all while still focusing on her goal: making new mRNA that would help people's bodies fight illness. Dr. Kariko moved to the U.S. to continue her research (and run marathons on the side). She partnered with scientist Drew Weisman on her mRNA idea, and after eight years, it worked! She moved to Germany to work for BioNTech, and her work became the foundation for creating the COVID-19 vaccine.

Back matter includes a timeline, steps to making a vaccine, author's note, glossary, source notes (pull quotes are used throughout), resources for further study, and acknowledgments.

See also: The Polio Pioneer ( )