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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Does a video from Ohio’s health department correctly list the ingredients in the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine?

By Lisa Freedland
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YES

A 30-second video, part of Ohio’s COVID-19 vaccination promotion effort, features an immunologist who heads a Columbus science museum explaining the vaccine contains “just a few simple ingredients”—water, sugar, salt, fats, and “building blocks for proteins.”

The list is most complete for Pfizer’s formulation. Both it and Moderna’s vaccine contain the same mRNA protein “building block,” plus lipids (fats) and sucrose (sugar). They both contain saline solution (water and salt), but use different types of salts. Moderna’s vaccine includes acids.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the third authorized for use in the U.S., includes most of the same ingredients, but instead of mRNA relies on the “harmless version of a different virus” to produce the antibodies that protect against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
COSI (Columbus, OH) Biography of Frederic Bertley, President and CEO
Springfield (OH) News-Sun What’s in a COVID-19 vaccine? COSI’s president sheds light on vaccine ingredients
Hackensack Meridian Health A simple breakdown of the ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccines
GoodRx What are the various ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccines?
US Food and Drug Administration Pfizer vaccine fact sheet
US Food and Drug Administration Moderna vaccine fact sheet
US Food and Drug Administration Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine fact sheet
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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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.