Last Updated on February 9, 2023 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
A video on social media claims covid vaccines add a third strand to double-stranded DNA. We fact-checked and found the claim to be False.
The Claim
A TikTok video shared on Twitter shows a woman claiming covid vaccines add a third strand to the DNA.
From the format, it is clear that the video was previously shared on Instagram before reaching Twitter.
Fact Check
What is the structure of DNA?
DNA is an abbreviation for Deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is found in the nucleus of a cell and contains all the information required for an organism to function.
The structure of a DNA molecule consists of two DNA strands, which are twisted around one another to form a spiral shape known as the double helix.
Do Covid vaccines add a third strand to double-stranded DNA?
No. Covid vaccines do not add a third strand to the double-stranded DNA. The claimed video does not provide any evidence for its claim about the vaccine altering human DNA.
The video shows a circled passage document. We researched and found that the image is a screenshot of a page from a broad 2020 Moderna patent. The patent was on the method of synthesizing RNA strands to manufacture proteins. A circled passage is from page 25 of the patent document. The page discusses the possibility of producing synthetic RNA that forms instructions for inventing other useful RNA. This includes RNA triple helix formation.
The passage nowhere talks about the mRNA used in Moderna’s Covid vaccine or to DNA.
The available evidence shows that the messenger RNA (mRNA) in Covid vaccines does not interact with DNA inside cells. The mRNA does not enter the nucleus in the cell where DNA is present.
The mRNA vaccine enters the cell’s cytoplasm to produce spike proteins. Once spike proteins are produced, the immune system recognizes the proteins to produce a fight mechanism against the virus.
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