Health Desk
Fact-Check: Do COVID-19 Vaccines Alter DNA And Cause Cancer?
In an era where the world faces the monumental challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of vaccines cannot be overemphasized. Over the past year, advancements in science have given humanity hope, through the formulation and administration of vaccines for combatting the novel coronavirus. However, alongside these breakthroughs are numerous misconceptions and myths that often raise concern among many adults. This article provides an exploration into the function of COVID-19 vaccines, investigating claims about their potential to alter human DNA and cause cancer, and finally, tackling the swirling myths surrounding these life-saving remedies.
Understanding the Function of COVID-19 Vaccines The Mechanics of COVID-19 Vaccines: A Fact-CheckAcross the globe, humanity collectively breathes a sigh of relief as the COVID-19 vaccines become increasingly available. However, one prevailing question lingers: how exactly do these vaccines work within our bodies? In the interest of providing factual, unbiased information, we embarked on an in-depth review of the matter, taking an analytical look at medical and research data from reputable sources.
The current COVID-19 vaccines are developed using three different technologies: mRNA, viral vector, and protein subunit. The fact-check examination shall dive into each type to shed light on their functionality.
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are models of this category. They deliver mRNA – a genetic material – to our cells, instructing them to build the virus's spike protein. Essentially, cells produce a protein piece that triggers an immune response. This response creates antibodies that recognize and respond to the actual virus, if encountered later. The mRNA never enters the nucleus of the cells (where DNA is kept), hence does not alter your DNA in any way.
The Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines befit this category. They use harmless viruses (not the coronavirus causing COVID-19), altered to carry a piece of the COVID-19 virus's gene into our cells. These genes instruct cells to create a protein that stimulates an immune response. The viral vector can't replicate within the body nor does it cause us to get sick with COVID-19.
Novavax's vaccine underlines this category. It utilizes harmless pieces of the virus that trigger an immune response. They're created from the coronavirus's spike protein. Once administered, your immune system recognizes these foreign proteins and creates a defensive response (antibodies).
The overall efficacy of these vaccines becomes apparent as they perform their primary task within the human body: priming the immune system to battle COVID-19. Upon exposure to the real virus, the immune system recognizes it and deploys the previously created antibodies, providing protection against the infection.
World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other trustworthy health institutions, underscore these facts behind the mechanics of the COVID-19 vaccines. Underscored by rigorous trials and comprehensive safety assessments, the COVID-19 vaccines serve as a crucial tool in combating the global pandemic.
Vaccine rollouts worldwide have encountered various misleading information, leading to vaccine hesitancy in some areas. This piece is a fact-checked attempt to demystify the nature of these vaccines and shed light on their role.
Rating: True
This information is scientifically substantiated by numerous health organizations and extensive research studies. The COVID-19 vaccines operate effectively and safely to boost immunity against the coronavirus.
As COVID-19 vaccines continue to safeguard global public health, the often misunderstood mechanisms behind their action inevitably give rise to misconceptions. One such assertion is the notion that these vaccines can inherently modify human DNA. To address this claim, it is crucial to comprehend the fundamental differences between DNA and the genetic material employed in the vaccines.
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, resides within the nucleus of cells, providing the blueprint for most functions in the body. Alternatively, the genetic material in mRNA and viral vector vaccines does not enter the nucleus where our DNA is located, but works in the outer part of the cell known as the cytoplasm to produce proteins that trigger an immune response. The implications are crystal clear: COVID-19 vaccines don't touch or interact with our DNA.
Looking at it from a bioscientific standpoint, mRNA is used as a template for protein synthesis in human cells but following this process, it is broken down and discarded by cellular machinery. Even in the case of viral vector vaccines, the viral DNA (not the DNA of the individual) enters the nucleus but does not integrate into the host DNA. Instead, it is simply a temporary guest that is transcribed into mRNA to produce the relevant protein.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses DNA rather than mRNA, but like mRNA vaccines, it doesn't meld with the recipient's DNA. Instead, it uses a harmless virus (not the coronavirus) to ferry viral DNA into cells. The DNA instructions are then transcribed into mRNA, and the process continues akin to mRNA vaccines.
Remember, for a substance to alter DNA, it needs the capacity to integrate into the genome, typically facilitated by enzymes. No ingredient in the COVID-19 vaccines possesses such abilities, underlining their inability to alter human DNA.
Attributing these findings to reputable health institutions such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and countless published peer-reviewed scientific papers, it is unequivocally apparent that COVID-19 vaccines do not have the inherent capability to alter human DNA.
Having dissected the claims under the microscope of facts and scientific evidence, the verdict is clear and unambiguous. The claim that COVID-19 vaccines have the capacity to alter human DNA is demonstrably false.
Hence, in conclusion, while requiring vigilance against scientific misinformation is paramount, so is the necessity of continuing to rely upon verifiable facts and endorsing the benefits of scientifically approved vaccines as tools to combat and curb the ongoing pandemic.
In the interest of trust, transparency, and the timely sharing of credible information, this article seeks to address a concern that has been widely circulated: does the COVID-19 vaccination lead to the development of cancer?
It cannot be overstated that the spread of misinformation poses a significant threat to public health, especially during the current pandemic. Hence, it's crucial to provide accurate and reliable information to dispel these unfounded rumors.
Turning our attention back to the main query – can the COVID-19 vaccines trigger the development of cancer? According to a plethora of data from reliable sources, the straightforward answer is "No". There is currently no scientific evidence linking any of the COVID-19 vaccines to the development of cancer.
Firstly, cancer occurs when cells in the body undergo changes or mutations in their DNA, causing them to grow and multiply at an uncontrolled rate. Thus, for a vaccine to trigger cancer, it would need to cause these types of alterations in the DNA, which none of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines are capable of doing.
It's important here to clear up another widespread myth: the notion that the COVID-19 vaccines could somehow integrate into human DNA. Extensive research and scientific backup has refuted this claim, demonstrating that the ingredients and mechanisms in all types of COVID-19 vaccines cannot integrate into the human genome.
Looking at cancer as a complex multi-step process, it's important to note that even substances proven to cause cancer (carcinogens) generally require prolonged exposure to trigger the disease. For instance, cigarettes, a known carcinogen, usually need years or even decades of continued exposure to cause cancer. Thus, it's highly unlikely that a one-time or a repeated injection (as with COVID-19 vaccines) would induce a similar effect.
Granted, like all medicines, COVID-19 vaccines can cause side effects. Some people after vaccination have reported temporary side effects like fever, muscle pain, or headaches, but these are normal signs that your body is building protection and usually resolve within a few days. Serious side effects are rare, but they are monitored and taken very seriously.
Conclusively, the assertion that COVID-19 vaccines can trigger the development of cancer is not supported by any demonstrated, verifiable fact. It's of utmost importance to remember that COVID-19 vaccines are crucial tools in flattening the curve of the pandemic, with their benefits far outweighing any potential risks. To ensure a widespread understanding of this, it's critical to rely on rigorous science and endorse approved vaccines while debunking myths that foster vaccine hesitancy.
Our final rating on the claim that COVID-19 vaccinations can trigger the development of cancer: False.
Diving into Further COVID-19 Vaccine Misconceptions: Infertility and Microchipping
Among the current misconceptions pertaining to COVID-19 vaccines is the worry that these vaccines, specifically the mRNA vaccines like those from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, could cause infertility. This belief seems to hinge on a confusion between syncytin-1, a protein crucial for placenta growth during pregnancy, and the spike protein on the SARS-CoV-2 virus – both of which bear no significant resemblance.
The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, which the mRNA vaccines train the immune system to recognize and combat, is not at all structurally related to syncytin-1. In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, along with several studies, affirm that COVID-19 vaccines do not impact fertility. This rating is: False.
A rather unnerving myth, despite its futuristic appeal, is that of microchipping – the belief that COVID-19 vaccines contain a microchip injected into people's bodies for monitoring purposes. This originated when Microsoft founder Bill Gates suggested that digital certificates could be used to track who had been vaccinated.
By firepower of facts, the vaccines do not contain microchips, nanotechnology, or any sort of tracking device. They are composed of lipids, salts, sugars, and the active molecule (either mRNA or a viral vector) that provokes an immune response. A thorough analysis of the ingredients in any COVID-19 vaccine available can be found on the FDA's website. Besides, the technology required to implement such an undertaking, let alone without detection, simply does not exist. Therefore, the claim about microchipping through vaccines holds no truth and is rated: False.
Lastly, another misconception suggests that natural infection provides sufficient protection, making vaccines unnecessary. This is a risky presumption. While it is true that natural infection can result in protective immunity, the level and duration of this immunity is variable. Moreover, the cost of natural infection can be severe disease or even death. Vaccination, on the other hand, provides a safe and controlled pathway to immunity. Studies have also shown that vaccinated individuals who had previous infections have even stronger protection. This claim about natural immunity being better than vaccinated immunity is evaluated as: Decontextualized.
In conclusion, it is paramount to critically evaluate any information received, especially in an era where misinformation spreads as fast as a pandemic. It is everyone's responsibility to rely on scientific evidence and respectable health institutions to guide decisions regarding vaccination. In the face of a global health crisis, making an informed choice not only protects you but reduces the overall burden of disease in your community.
It all comes down to the steadfast principle of facts over fiction.
To navigate through the storm of misinformation that at times clouds our understanding of COVID-19 vaccines, it's important to lean on scientific findings and expert opinions. The evidence available presently categorically refutes the rumors of these vaccines altering human DNA or causing cancer, offering reassurance to the global population at large. As we move forward, let's continually seek truth in the realm of science, allowing it to light our path amid widespread uncertainty. Rest assured, our best defense in this fight resides in embracing the protection offered by vaccinations and dismantling the myths that imperil public trust.
Covid Vaccine Rates In The U.S. Are Slumping — And It Will Be A Challenge To Boost Them
Three years into the Covid-19 pandemic, few Americans are rolling up their sleeves to get a Covid vaccine.
Only 15.7% of U.S. Adults had received the newest Covid shots from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax as of Nov. 18, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those jabs, some of which won approval in mid-September, are designed to target the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5.
"Here's the bottom line: COVID-19 vaccine uptake is lower than we'd like to see, and most people will be without the added protection that can reduce the severity of COVID-19," the CDC wrote in an update on its website last week.
Some vaccine makers and health experts believe U.S. Covid vaccination rates in 2024 and beyond will likely look similar to the meager uptake of the latest round of shots this fall and winter.
The bigger uncertainty appears to be whether rates could increase down the line — and what would cause more people to roll up their sleeves.
Some experts hope a new, more convenient slate of shots targeting more than one respiratory virus could boost Covid vaccinations. But others are more skeptical about whether those combination jabs will make a difference.
Experts and vaccine makers can agree that low Covid vaccination rates are concerning, even as cases of the virus dwindle from their pandemic highs.
Vaccines remain a critical tool to protect people from death or hospitalization from Covid, which is still killing Americans every day. Fewer jabs could leave many people — especially older adults and those with underlying medical conditions — vulnerable to severe infections.
Lower vaccination rates also make the U.S. Less prepared if a new, more concerning variant of the virus emerges and fuels another surge in cases and hospitalizations, added Dr. Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist and chief strategy officer for population health at the University of Washington.
Why are some people not taking Covid vaccines?Covid shot uptake has dwindled since the first vaccines against the virus rolled out in late 2020, when Americans felt more urgency to protect themselves as cases soared.
This year, roughly half of adults who were previously vaccinated said a lack of worry about Covid is a reason why they haven't gotten a new vaccine, including a quarter who called it a "major reason," according to a poll released earlier this month by health policy research organization KFF.
That reasoning reflects multiple factors. First, Covid infections haven't spiked significantly in the U.S. This year, especially compared to prior years of the pandemic, according to Mokdad.
He added that people have more immunity from previous vaccinations or infections, which protects them from getting severely ill from the virus. Data also suggests that omicron variants, which are the dominant Covid strains circulating in the U.S., tend to be less severe than some previous variants, Mokdad added.
"People are like, 'I got that, it didn't really hurt me. So why do I need to go and get a vaccine?'" Mokdad said.
Irfan KhanLos Angeles TimesGetty ImagesThe new vaccine COMIRNATY® (Covid-19 vaccine, mRNA) by Pfizer, available at CVS Pharmacy in Eagle Rock, California.
Nearly 4 in 10 adults also said they have been too busy to get the new Covid shot, according to the KFF poll.
Some Americans may not be used to treating their Covid vaccination as a "routine activity" for their health every year, according to Jennifer Kates, senior vice president of KFF.
Others may not be prioritizing Covid shots because they are confused about their risk levels and the benefits they will personally see from another booster, added Dr. Brad Pollock, chair of UC Davis Health's department of public health sciences.
What's more, a group of Americans may never get Covid vaccines because they remain skeptical about their safety and efficacy.
Political polarization has exacerbated that effect: Republicans have grown increasingly hostile toward the shots, and some have even fueled conspiracy theories and disinformation about getting vaccinated.
Only 23% of Republican respondents to KFF's poll said they had or would get the latest Covid shot this fall or winter, compared to 40% of independents and 74% of Democrats.
What could uptake look like next year and beyond?The lack of urgency around Covid could weigh on uptake in the coming years, said Dr. Nicole Iovine, chief hospital epidemiologist and an infectious disease physician at the University of Florida.
But she noted that the people who receive the new Covid vaccine this fall will likely get future iterations. "There's definitely a core of people who are going to always get their vaccine," said Iovine.
Jefferies analyst Michael Yee specifically noted that patients who are at high risk of severe Covid and are open to vaccination "would be reasonable" to take it each year.
Most Covid vaccine makers themselves assume that uptake in 2024 and beyond could look similar to what the U.S. Sees this fall and winter.
"So, we are assuming that things will be the same in the years to come, Covid fatigue, anti-vaccination rates, so the people that did it this year will continue doing it next year," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said during a call with investors in mid-October. "I think it is a quite safe assumption."
Similarly, Moderna assumes that everyone who got their Covid booster in 2023 will "at least" get a Covid shot in 2024 and beyond, Moderna Chief Commercial Officer Arpa Garay said during the company's third-quarter earnings call last month. Garay also said the company expects about 50 million Americans to get a new vaccine between September and December this year.
Novavax Chief Operating Officer John Trizzino told CNBC that there's "a logic and reality" to Pfizer and Moderna's outlooks. But he said 2023 won't be "100% indicative" of what vaccination rates in the future could be, especially since the rollout this year was an "adjustment period" to the commercial market with delays in distribution.
Trizzino also said combination shots targeting Covid and other viruses, including one from Novavax, will likely enter the market in a few years, which could increase Covid vaccinations in the U.S.
Could combination shots boost uptake?Pfizer, Moderna and some experts agree that combination shots could increase Covid vaccination rates by offering more convenience to patients and health-care workers.
"I think that it actually will help. More Americans get a combined flu and Covid shot, which should increase the number of people that get a Covid vaccine over time because it's much more easy from a convenience perspective for anybody, as well as the technician to administer," Moderna CFO Jamey Mock said in an interview earlier this month.
But other experts are more skeptical about whether those jabs will have a notable effect.
All three companies are developing vaccines targeting different combinations of Covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus, which collectively strained the U.S. Health-care system last winter and could continue to peak around the same time each year.
The companies have released positive midstage trial data on some of their combination shots this year and expect their jabs to win approval from U.S. Regulators in 2025 and 2026.
AngelpIstockGetty ImagesBottles of vaccines in a medical clinic.
Combination jabs are nothing new: Childhood vaccines have long been combined to eliminate additional trips to the doctor's office and reduce the number of injections a patient needs to get during their visit. That approach can lead to fewer missed shots and higher vaccination rates for diseases they target, according to Andrew Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Other studies also argue that a combination jab targeting Covid and the flu in particular could boost Covid vaccination rates, which lag behind flu shot uptake this year.
More people are used to receiving flu vaccines annually, so they may "find it easier to replicate such health action in the case of a combination shot" targeting Covid and the flu, according to a 2023 study that analyzed 30 different papers on the vaccine approach.
However, Iovine of the University of Florida doesn't believe combination shots will have a significant effect on Covid vaccination rates.
While the jabs may be attractive for people who already get their shots or those who are looking for more convenient vaccination options, they may do little to change the minds of people who are avoiding a Covid vaccine for reasons such as skepticism or concerns about safety and efficacy.
Jefferies analyst Yee similarly said he doesn't believe the "advantage of convenience would be the differentiating factor" determining whether someone gets a Covid vaccine, which is why combination shots may not "materially change uptake."
He added that some people are still worried about whether combination vaccines cause more side effects than stand-alone shots do. Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax haven't flagged notable differences between the side effects of their combination vaccines and existing shots, but more data is needed.
What else could increase vaccination rates?If combination shots don't do the trick, it's unclear what else could boost Covid vaccination rates down the line.
Iovine said people may feel more urgency to get vaccinated if a new, more concerning Covid variant emerges and fuels another wave of cases. But even during past Covid surges, the country "didn't see tremendous vaccine uptake," according to Iovine.
Irfan KhanLos Angeles TimesGetty ImagesPharmacist Aaron Sun administers the new vaccine COMIRNATY® (Covid-19 vaccine, mRNA) by Pfizer, to John Vuich at CVS Pharmacy in Eagle Rock, California.
Meanwhile, KFF's Kates said public health officials and providers may increase uptake if they clearly communicate that Covid shots will likely be a "routine part of health care" moving forward.
The FDA and CDC are hoping to transition toward a flu shot-like model for Covid vaccines, meaning people will get a single jab every year that is updated annually to target the latest variant expected to circulate in the fall and winter.
But advisors to the FDA have raised concerns about shifting to yearly Covid vaccines, noting that it's unclear if the virus is seasonal like the flu. Kates added that establishing a more annualized approach to Covid vaccination in the minds of Americans "will take time."
Don't miss these stories from CNBC PRO:
Why COVID Vaccines For Young Children Have Been Hard To Get
November 21, 2023
5 min read
Access to pediatric COVID vaccines has been hampered by a shortage of doses, higher costs to providers and parental skepticism
Vaccines
The number of people hospitalized with COVID is much lower than it was at the beginning of the year, but the disease remains a significant health threat. In September the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that everyone aged six months or older get one of the newly updated COVID vaccines, which protect against currently circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. But getting these shots into the arms of children has proved difficult.
Throughout much of the U.S.—and in rural areas, in particular—access to pediatric COVID vaccines is severely limited. Parents are driving long distances to obtain them, and in many cases, they're being turned away by pharmacies that refuse to vaccinate young children and doctor's offices that haven't ordered pediatric doses. Experts worry the lack of vaccine access is particularly precarious for infants and toddlers—especially those who have never had a COVID shot. Young children have small lungs and limited energy reserves, so they can find it hard to cough up respiratory secretions, putting them at risk of secondary infections and other COVID complications. "Children younger than four have among the highest rates of hospital admissions for COVID in the United States," says Paul Offit, a pediatrician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "And this is because they're not getting vaccinated."
A complex web of factors is contributing to the problem. But at the heart of the matter are challenges associated with "the transition from a government-supplied product to one in which providers are also having to buy COVID vaccines on commercial markets," says Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM), a nonprofit group that coordinates with state health agencies to boost vaccination rates. "There have been some bumps in the road."
During the pandemic public health emergency, everyone got their shots paid for courtesy of the federal government. But after the Department of Health and Human Services declared an end to that emergency on May 11, 2023, much of that financial support disappeared. CDC data show that at the time, barely 6 percent of U.S. Kids under the age of five had been fully vaccinated for the disease. Children covered by Medicaid and other types of government assistance are still eligible for free shots supplied by the CDC's Vaccines for Children Program. But in order to participate in the program, providers also have to vaccinate privately insured kids, and they must buy the shots up front at an average cost of $120 per dose. That's a significant investment, given unpredictable demands for COVID immunizations, Hannan says. "Parents are increasingly fatigued by COVID, and many don't see it as a threat to their children," she says. Some parents will become hostile if pediatricians recommend COVID vaccines, and concerns about rare vaccine side effects fuel their skepticism. The Food and Drug Administration has cautioned that mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna pose low but nonzero risks for cardiac inflammation, particularly in adolescent and young adult males. But the symptoms usually resolve without treatment, and a CDC study found that these effects are significantly more likely to occur after a SARS-CoV-2 infection than in response to the vaccine.
The FDA has stated that the benefits of COVID immunizations outweigh any potential health risks. But pediatricians who are worried about getting stuck with unused inventory are increasingly opting out of administering COVID vaccinations altogether. Evidence gathered by the CDC shows that as of November 9, only about a third of pediatric providers had bought the doses needed to vaccinate kids in the youngest age categories. The figures aren't surprising, "given what we expect from the system," says Michelle Fiscus, AIM's chief medical officer. "We're asking medical providers to purchase expensive vaccines up front in the hopes that they'll be paid back on schedules that range from 30 days to never. It's the worst business model ever." Rebecca Weintraub, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, agrees. Drug companies are churning out ample quantities of COVID vaccines, "so supply isn't the issue," she says. "It's that procurement from clinical sites is decreasing."
Pharmacies also provide the shots. By federal law, they can vaccinate children aged three and older. (Younger kids have to go to a medical doctor.) But in many cases, they are offering COVID shots only on restricted schedules, such as during weekdays, "which means taking kids out of school," adds Dora Mills, a medical epidemiologist at MaineHealth, Maine's largest provider of health care services. The inconvenience is largely the result of an insufficient workforce. "Like everyone else in health care, pharmacies are grappling with staffing shortages," Mills says. "They're overstressed and busy and trying to squeeze in vaccines in between filling prescriptions." COVID shots are piled on top of vaccines for flu and now respiratory syncytial virus, she adds, and many pharmacy technicians are also uncomfortable vaccinating kids. "A squirmy five-year-old is not in their comfort zone," Mills says.
Fiscus worries that access problems with pediatric COVID shots have alarming implications not just for child health but also potentially for herd immunity in the population. Most people around the world have, by now, either had COVID, been immunized against it or both. "But every day, 10,000 babies in this country become eligible for a COVID shot," Fiscus says. "And when they go unvaccinated and become infected, there's greater opportunity for these viruses to mutate and cause worsening disease in any of us."
The solution to boosting COVID vaccine rates for kids is partly in the messaging, says Brian Zikmund-Fisher, a professor of health behavior and health education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Parents might be more inclined to vaccinate a child if a doctor brings up the possibility of losing workdays to care for a sick child. "That's a more persuasive argument than the standard public health message," he says, "which is that even though very few children die from COVID, we need to do what we can to protect them."
Mills insists that the government has to assure better and more convenient access to the shots—for example, by offering them in schools, day cares and other community settings. "It's mind-boggling to me that here in the United States, we're still doling out vaccines based on your insurance status," she says. "Vaccines are like water on a fire. Why not provide them [for free] across the board?"
Comments
Post a Comment