While the vaccination pass should soon come into force, some French people still refuse to be vaccinated. Futura is hunting down misconceptions about mRNA vaccines.
Vaccines at MRNA are not gene therapies. In a simplified way, our genes (our DNA) encode proteins, necessary for the proper functioning of our organism. In some monogenic diseases, only one gene is diseased and is unable to produce the correct protein. Gene therapy compensates for this deficiency. A therapeutic gene, a piece ofDNA, is imported into the organism. This is part of the heritage genetic target cells and produces the missing protein in place of the deficient gene. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines: that is, they contain small pieces of mRNA. MRNA is a step between DNA and protein. MRNA cannot enter the nucleus of the cell and alter the genetic makeup of cells, as DNA-based gene therapy does. It is therefore wrong to qualify the mRNA vaccines gene therapy. MRNA vaccines are not experimental therapies and the studies have been properly conducted.
The mRNA vaccines arrived on the market very quickly, raising a legitimate fear of the population. Before a vaccine is marketed, there are two parts: a clinical experimentation part and an administrative part. It is the administrative part which has been accelerated and not the experimental part. The experimental part could be carried out more quickly than usual because the virus was in circulation at the time the tests were conducted. It was because it was so easy to recruit patients that the trials were able to lead to conclusions very quickly. The clinical experimentation phases were correctly carried out and have been completed. It is not abouta vaccine experimental. On the other hand, as with any drug, the monitoring of undesirable effects continues after marketing thanks to pharmacovigilance.
MRNA vaccines: no long-term adverse effects
Medicines, taken daily by patients, can produce long-term side effects. This is not the case with vaccines. While they may cause side effects, these will occur within a few days of the injection. Indeed, mRNA is fragile, it is destroyed in a few hours in the body of patients. In the past, some vaccines have been charged to cause very serious illnesses. In 1998, a publication suggested that the MMR vaccine (Measles-Mumps-Rubella) would be responsible for cases ofautism. After careful analysis, it turned out that the methodology used was not rigorous and that the children included in the study (only 12) had in fact been diagnosed with autism before being vaccinated. The publication has since been retracted and the doctor removed from the medical order. Another rumor is circulating about the vaccine againstHepatitis B which would trigger multiple sclerosis. After investigation, the pharmacovigilance commission concluded in 2011 that there is no scientifically valid proof of this association.
In conclusion, access to mRNA vaccines is a chance! For those who are still not convinced, the Novavax vaccine based on more traditional technology should soon be available in France.
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