A post with structural diagram of DNA and RNA has gone viral all over social media claiming that mRNA Covid-19 vaccine will change human DNA.
The Facebook post read, “The new vaccine for Covid-19 will be the first of its kind EVER. It will be an mRNA vaccine which will literally alter your DNA. It will wrap itself into your system. You will essentially become a genetically modified human.”
Other similar posts were found here, here, here, here and here.
FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the above post and found it to be false and misleading.
What is mRNA Covid-19 vaccine?
According to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, the new mRNA vaccines are types of vaccines offering protection against infectious diseases. Also, messenger RNA vaccines or mRNA vaccines are likely to be some of the first COVID-19 vaccines authorised for use in the United States.
How do mRNA Covid-19 vaccine work?
According to an article by the University of Cambridge, RNA vaccines use a different approach that takes advantage of the process that cells use to make proteins: cells use DNA as the template to make messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules, which are then translated to build proteins. An RNA vaccine consists of an mRNA strand that codes for a disease-specific antigen. Once the mRNA strand in the vaccine is inside the body’s cells, the cells use genetic information to produce the antigen. This antigen is then displayed on the cell surface, where it is recognised by the immune system.
We also found a video on YouTube by Alila Medical Media, where we can see an animated video explaining how mRNA COVID-19 vaccine works.
Can mRNA Covid-19 vaccine change human DNA?
According to vaccine advocate Edward Nirenberg, mRNA Covid-19 vaccine does not affect human DNA. He claims this in a Tweet.
I really, really, hope this ends it.
No, Really, mRNA Vaccines Are Not Going To Affect Your DNA — Deplatform Disease https://t.co/O4nCfDdOug
— Edward Nirenberg (@ENirenberg) November 24, 2020
Based on Edward Nirenberg researches, we found an article on Deplatform Disease claiming that mRNA vaccine will not affect DNA.
Moreover, we found a video on Facebook posted by Dr. Jennifer Caudle who is a board-certified physician. In the video she clearly states that mRNA covid-19 vaccine cannot alter a human DNA.
On digging further, we also found some facts about Covid-19 mRNA vaccine published by Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on November 23, 2020, claiming that mRNA covid vaccine does not affect or interact with human DNA in any way.
Lastly, we found a Twitter post by PIB dated November 25, 2020, claiming that mRNA COVID-19 vaccine does not alter human DNA and as such the social media claims are fake.
Claim- A video circulating on #SocialMedia claims that the #COVID19 vaccine will introduce mRNA molecule in the body that will change people’s DNA.#PIBFactCheck: This claim is #Fake. The Coronavirus vaccine will not alter human DNA. #Unite2fightcorona pic.twitter.com/JW0C5YigKg
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) November 25, 2020
In conclusion, with the help of the above information, it is clear that the new mRNA Covid-19 vaccine does not change human DNA. Don’t fall for such fake social media posts.
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