Monday, Feb. 14, 2022
Are COVID-19 vaccines experimental gene technology?
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.
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
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