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Thursday, Apr. 8, 2021

Do mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 alter DNA?

Alexis Tereszcuk, Lead Stories
no

There are multiple COVID-19 conspiracy theories, including claims that messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines alter the function of the human genetic code. Government and private experts say that is not how mRNA works.

Dr. James Lawler, a board-certified infectious disease specialist with Nebraska Medicine, says this regarding claims that mRNA alters genetics:

"That is just not true. They are not medical devices … it doesn't change your chromosomes."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also addressed such claims in a vaccine fact sheet, saying mRNA vaccines are not electrical devices and do not interact with human DNA "in any way."

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.

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