A Facebook post referring to debilitating theories surrounding genetic modification has suggested that vaccines could stop someone from being human. This is false.
The post contains a screenshot of a tweet and reads: ‘You took the (vaccine emoji) and are not dead. Great news. I did not take the (vaccine emoji) nor did I die. Let’s record it in a few years, if I’m still human, and who knows what you are. This is if you’re still alive. ”(Here)
The phrase ‘who knows what you are’ probably refers to an unsubstantiated claim that COVID-19 vaccines alter your DNA or inject an operating system into the recipient’s body.
Confusion over this issue may have arisen due to new mRNA technology used in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which includes the injection of a small portion of the virus’ genetic code (RNA) to boost the immune response in a to stimulate patient without an infection (here and here).
The mRNA of the vaccine does not change the recipient’s DNA, is broken down shortly after vaccination and does not remain in the body (here).
On its website, the pharmaceutical company Moderna compares the mRNA science in its vaccine with an ‘operating system’ (here). However, the phrase is used in a metaphorical sense, not literally. According to Moderna, mRNA science is comparable to an operating system because it can be used to tackle various diseases.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is described as a viral vector vaccine, which uses a modified virus to deliver the instructions into the recipient cells and activate an immune response (here and bit.ly/2ZJbvRW).
COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe and provide the best protection against the new coronavirus (here).
Reuters has dismissed other misinformation surrounding the vaccine here, here, here, here, here and here.
VERDICT
Untrue. COVID-19 vaccines do not alter the recipients’ DNA or turn it into non-humans.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our work to actually check social media posts.