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FACT BRIEF

Are COVID-19 vaccines experimental gene technology?

By Ed Payne
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NO

A former pharmaceutical research scientist claimed in The Daily Sceptic that the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna haven't been properly tested, calling them experimental gene technology requiring more testing before being safely administered to the general public. The vaccines are not an example of gene therapy, as they do not alter DNA. Instead, they use messenger RNA teach the body how to make a COVID-19 spike protein that provokes an immune response.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the U.K. says neither the Pfizer nor the Moderna vaccine are experimental. Both have gone through a "thorough review of safety, quality and efficacy information from clinical trials" before authorization, according to the agency.

The Centers for Disease Control similarly makes clear that the vaccines were tested on tens of thousands of people in clinical trials.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Vaccine Knowledge Project (Oxford) How vaccines are tested, licensed and monitored
Genomics Education Program (UK) Why mRNA vaccines aren’t gene therapies
Centers for Disease Control Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.