Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will become the mainstay of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine deployment as the years progress, according to recently released government forecasts.
From SeptemberIn addition to an average of 1.3 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, an additional 125,000 doses of the unapproved modelna vaccine are expected to be available each week. These numbers are expected to rise from October as the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine decreases.
Both the Pfizer and Modelna vaccines are mRNA vaccines and contain small fragments of a genetic material known as “messenger ribonucleic acid.” And if social media goes by some people We are concerned that these vaccines may affect the genetic code.
Here are some guidelines on why such things are near zero and how the myth was born.
Remind me, how does the mRNA vaccine work?
The technique used in Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is a method of giving cells temporary instructions. Coronavirus peplomer.. This protein is found on the surface of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Vaccines teach the immune system to protect you in the event of encountering a virus.
The mRNA in the vaccine is taken up by the cells in the body and becomes the intracellular fluid called the cytoplasm.Our cells make naturally Thousands of our own mRNA Always (to encode a variety of other proteins). Therefore, the mRNA of the vaccine is different. Once the vaccine mRNA enters the cytoplasm, it is used to make the SARS-CoV-2 peplomer.
Vaccine mRNA Short-lived Like all other mRNAs, it is rapidly degraded after work.
Vaccine mRNA is located in the cytoplasm and is broken down after work.
This is why mRNA cannot be inserted into the genetic code
Your genetic code is composed of molecules that are different but related to the vaccine mRNA known as DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid. And mRNA cannot insert itself into your DNA for two reasons.
One is that both molecules have different chemistries. This can disrupt the way proteins are produced if mRNA can be randomly inserted into DNA on a daily basis. It also scrambles your genome, which will be passed on to future cells and generations. Lifeforms that do this will not survive.So life has evolved for this Absent appear.
The second reason is that the vaccine mRNA and DNA are in two different parts of the cell. Our DNA stays in the nucleus. However, vaccine mRNA goes directly to the cytoplasm and never enters the nucleus. There are no transporter molecules that carry mRNA to the nucleus.
But are there some exceptions?
There are some very rare exceptions. One is where is the genetic component known as Retrotransposon, Takes over the cell’s mRNA, converts it to DNA, and reinserts that DNA into the genetic material.
This happened sporadically Through evolution, Producing some ancient copies of so-called mRNA, so-called Pseudogene..
A few RetrovirusFor HIV and others, RNA is inserted into DNA using a method similar to retrotransposons.
However, it is unlikely that naturally occurring retrotransposons will be activated in cells that have just been vaccinated with the mRNA. In addition, it is unlikely that you will be infected with HIV at the same time you receive the mRNA vaccine.
It is unlikely that you will be infected with HIV at the same time you receive the mRNA vaccine.
Even if retrotransposons are activated or viruses such as HIV are present, it is unlikely that COVID vaccine mRNAs will be found in tens of thousands of natural mRNAs.This is because the mRNA of the vaccine is internally degraded. A few hours I’m in my body.
Even if the mRNA of the vaccine becomes a pseudogene, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is not produced, but the harmless spike protein, which is one of the virus products, is produced.
How do you actually know this?
No studies are looking for vaccine mRNA in the DNA of vaccinated people. There is no scientific basis to suspect that this insertion has occurred.
However, conducting these surveys should be relatively easy.Because we can do it now Single cell sequence DNA..
But in reality, it will be very difficult to satisfy denialists who are convinced that this genomic insertion will occur. They can always argue that scientists need to look deeper and more difficult in different people and different cells. At some point, this discussion needs to rest.
So how did this myth come about?
One study Evidence has been reported that coronavirus RNA is integrated into the human genome of cells grown in laboratories infected with SARS-CoV-2.
However, the treatise does not focus on mRNA vaccines and lacks important control. have Because I lost credibility..
These types of studies also need to be more widespread in the context of the general public’s alertness to genetic engineering.This is also Public concerns For example, about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for the past 20 years.
However, GMO differs from the mRNA technology used in the production of COVID vaccines. Unlike GMOs, which are produced by inserting DNA into the genome, vaccine mRNAs are not included in our genes or passed on to the next generation. It disassembles very quickly.
In fact, mRNA technology All kinds applicationBeyond vaccines, including biosecurity and sustainable agriculture. Therefore, it is unfortunate that these efforts are curtailed by false information.
Written by:
- Archa Fox – Associate Professor and ARC Future Fellow, University of Western Australia
- Jen Martin – University of Melbourne Science Communication Education Program Leader
- Traude Beilharz – Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash Institute for Biomedical Discovery, Monash University ARC Future Fellow
Originally published conversation..
