The Claim:
Anti-vaccine Twitter is upset that Bill Gates (we really could just stop there) is vaccinating chickens using mRNA vaccines. They claim that these chickens will pose a threat to human health.
The Facts:
People are once again conflating mRNA vaccines with gene therapy. While mRNA can be used in gene therapy, it’s a completely different technology than that which is found in mRNA vaccines.
For vaccines, mRNA does not involve the DNA housed in the nucleus of a cell and does not change the DNA of the animal being vaccinated. It merely temporarily provides the cells with instructions on how to build antigens that can be used by the immune system to identify and target the real antigens from infectious diseases. And since no genes are altered, the animal (chicken or human) is no different than one that has not been vaccinated.
And if the concern is ingesting mRNA, people need to realize that most cells, plant or animal, regardless of vaccination status, are already chock full of mRNA, DNA, and all kinds of other genetic material. And all of it is safely consumed because our digestive system destroys much of it.
Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved since this was originally posted. Browse the latest information posted in Just the Facts Topics.
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