Contrary to what social media posts incorrectly imply, President Joe Biden’s allusion to mRNA cancer vaccinations during his State of the Union address does not mean that COVID-19 vaccines are “being used to cure cancer.” Biden was alluding to the mRNA technology being investigated by researchers to cure cancer, as well as the technique utilized to create the COVID-19 vaccinations. Though they weren’t the first to be created, the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are the first to be authorized for use utilizing messenger RNA technology. Research on mRNA cancer vaccines was part of the history of mRNA vaccines, which began decades before the pandemic.
Social media reaction
The creation of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines was both aided and abetted by the study on cancer mRNA vaccines. Currently, mRNA vaccines are being tested in a number of clinical studies to combat various cancer types, and some of the early findings are encouraging. In particular lab-altered liver cell lines under experimental settings, the scientists evaluated whether the vaccine’s mRNA might be translated to DNA.
Experts and the research authors claim that it did not evaluate if the vaccination modifies the human genome or the consequences that may result from it. According to experts, more study is required since conclusions drawn from laboratory results cannot be extrapolated to potential physiological outcomes. Many mRNA cancer vaccines are being researched to treat various cancer types, despite the fact that none has been authorized or recommended for usage as of yet. Regarding the potential of mRNA, Dr. James A. Hoxie, emeritus professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and co-director of the Penn Institute of RNA Innovation, told us that there are “dozens, if not hundreds of ideas of how the platform could be used for cancer.”
Clarifications and expert opinions
The president didn’t make his point very clear. He wasn’t talking about the COVID-19 vaccinations themselves; rather, he was talking about the technologies that went into making them. Due to Biden’s ambiguous phrasing, opponents of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine were able to misrepresent his message on social media, leading some people to believe that the president was declaring that the COVID-19 immunizations will now be used to treat cancer. Social media users are using a February research from Sweden to support the unfounded allegation that recipients of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccination have lasting DNA alterations. Three doctors who have previously disseminated false information about vaccines are seen in a recent video clip discussing the Swedish study and making the false claim that it proves “the Pfizer vaccine reverse transcribes and installs DNA into the human genome,” which can have negative effects. The instructions needed to create and maintain a human being are found in the genome. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden looked at how Pfizer’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine affected a human cell line that was produced from liver cancer tissue. Their findings were published in a peer-reviewed journal. The goal of the petri dish experiment was to see whether the vaccine’s mRNA could be transformed into DNA.
Importance of fact-checking
| Source | Summary |
| Ground news | Social media posts incorrectly imply that COVID-19 vaccinations are being utilized to cure cancer because they misunderstand President Joe Biden’s remarks regarding mRNA cancer vaccines. The false information originates from a misinterpretation of Biden’s statement during his State of the Union speech on mRNA technology. |
| FactCheck.org | Social media accounts have misconstrued President Joe Biden’s statement about mRNA cancer vaccinations during his State of the Union address, erroneously asserting that COVID-19 vaccines are being utilized to treat cancer. A misunderstanding of the mRNA technology utilized in COVID-19 vaccines is the source of the disinformation. |
| De Anza college | President Joe Biden’s comments about mRNA cancer vaccinations have been misunderstood on social media, leading to the misleading claim that COVID-19 vaccines are being used to treat cancer. The misapprehension centers on Biden’s mention of mRNA technology and its possible uses in the treatment of cancer. |
| AllSides | False allegations that COVID-19 vaccinations are being used to treat cancer have been caused by social media posts misinterpreting President Joe Biden’s remarks about mRNA cancer vaccines. Misunderstanding of Biden’s allusion to mRNA technology and its use in the creation of the COVID-19 vaccine is the cause of the confusion. |
Conclusion
In conclusion, The mRNA instrument used in investigational cancer vaccines is the same as that used in COVID-19, a lipid nanoparticle containing RNA. The information that the mRNA sends to the cells is altered. The cancer vaccines are also different from the COVID-19 vaccines in that they are meant to treat individuals who have already received a cancer diagnosis; this is known as their therapeutic nature.
