The Claim:
A tweeted video features a physician claiming that COVID vaccines install a genetic code into people that can be passed from parent to child.
The Facts:
We’ve seen this doctor before. His claims that COVID vaccines are unsafe have been discredited by the scientific community and the American Board of Internal Medicine has threatened to revoke his credentials for spreading false and inaccurate information.
An mRNA vaccine cannot alter your DNA. Your DNA is housed in the nucleus of your cells and contains all the instructions for the development and functioning of your body. Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is transcribed and carries those instructions outside the nucleus where they are implemented. The mRNA introduced by a vaccine cannot enter the nucleus where the DNA is housed.
In addition, RNA, including mRNA, is single-stranded and cannot directly interact with double-stranded DNA. In order for RNA to interact with DNA, it must first be made into DNA— which requires an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. This enzyme is not even found in human cells, so interaction is impossible. And if your genome cannot be not altered by mRNA from the vaccine, there is no alteration to pass down to your offspring.
There is something that can potentially damage DNA, though:Â SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.
Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.
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