A Facebook post claims that COVID-19 vaccines take away the human rights of recipients by turning them into genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This is false.
The claim was included in an update of 593 words, which the author requested others to share. It says: “If you agreed to the” experimental jab “, it is now integrated into your chromosomes, and you are not now classified as human, you are now legally classified as a” genetically modified organism “. GMOs required ‘ a license to travel or move around … the license comes in the form of the Covid slave passport.
“As ‘product’ instead of ‘human’ … you have now agreed to permanently remove all your ‘human rights’.” (here, posted here).
The report is an extension of similar theories that are circulating online, claiming that vaccines for the new coronavirus convert humans into GMOs, defined by the World Health Organization as’ organisms in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. ‘. (here).
There is no evidence to substantiate these false allegations. The confusion probably stems from misunderstanding about the science used in the COVID-19 jabs.
First, the new mRNA technology in the BioNTech and Moderna vaccines has worried some social media users. Unlike ‘conventional’ vaccines that use an entire pathogen or fragment (here), mRNA vaccines involve the injection of a small portion of the virus ‘genetic code (messenger Ribonucleic Acid, abbreviated to mRNA) to the immune response at’ to stimulate a patient without an infection (here).
‘It does not differ much from the way traditional vaccines work. But instead of injecting an attenuated live or killed virus, the mRNA approach trains your immune system directly with a single protein, ‘writes Mark Lynas (here) in an article for the Cornell Alliance for Science in December 2020 (here).
He added: ‘Contrary to what is claimed by opponents, it will not make you or anyone else a GMO … it does not enter the (cell) nucleus and can not communicate with your DNA or any change in the genome does not cause (here) ‘.
In an explanation of COVID-19 vaccines, the University’s University vaccination knowledge project rebukes misinformation about mRNA with equal force: “there is no way human DNA can be altered by an mRNA vaccine.” (here).
Second, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine also uses new technology called ‘viral vector’. It does involve a GMO, but it certainly does not change the recipient into one.
Viral vector vaccinations use an adenovirus, a type of pathogen that causes colds, to act as a means of obtaining the genetic sequence in your cells. To do this, scientists link the same genetic sequence of the coronavirus protein (here).
This process modifies the adenovirus, which means it is a GMO (here).
“So yes, the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine actually means that a genetically engineered virus is injected into your body,” says Lynas.
“And that’s a good thing. In the past, for example with the polio vaccine, live viruses in the vaccine can sometimes mutate and become pathogenic again, causing polio (here). You can see that it is much better to use a GM virus that can not do such damage! ‘
This is because the adenovirus, which acts as a viral vector, has been adapted to prevent it from recurring in the body, causing disease or even integrating with human DNA (here).
Thus, the technologies used in coronavirus vaccines do not alter human DNA and do not alter humans into GMOs. Referring to the original false claim, it also means that COVID-19 vaccines do not remove the human rights of the recipient.
VERDICT
Untrue. COVID-19 vaccines do not take away the human rights of recipients by turning them into genetically modified organisms.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.