Does the COVID-19 vaccine change your own genetic material?

The COVID-19 vaccine does not change your own genetic material. Here's a quick explanation of why this is so.

mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) contain messenger RNA (mRNA) that provides instructions to cells to make a protein similar to the coronavirus' spike protein. This spike protein triggers the immune system to mount a response. The mRNA does not enter the cell nucleus where the DNA is located, and it does not remain in the body for long. After delivering the instructions, the mRNA is broken down and eliminated by the body.

Viral vector vaccines (AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson) use a weakened adenovirus to deliver the genetic code for the coronavirus' spike protein into cells. This adenovirus cannot reproduce in human cells and does not integrate its genetic material into the DNA of the host cells. The instructions are read in the cytoplasm of the cell and not in the cell nucleus where the DNA is located.

Scientific consensus and studies have repeatedly confirmed that current COVID-19 vaccines do not cause changes in human DNA. The aim of the vaccines is to train the immune sy

Source: https://www.rivm.nl/corona/coronaprik/veiligheid-en-werking-vaccins

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2022-02-22 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2024