Fact check: COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe and to give the best protection against the novel coronavirus

A Facebook video showing a man shouting misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine in a Specsavers opticians store has been shared online.

The 3-minute video is captioned: ‘Should have gone to Specsavers for some MAJOR truth bombs!’ and has received 822 likes so far (here) However, the main claims made in the video are false.

The man says: “Don’t take the vaccine. This is not a vaccine; they’re trying to kill us. Do you understand? They’re trying to kill us and they’re trying to kill our kids. It’s got lipid nanoparticles inside it to genetically modify your DNA.” (1.18)

Firstly, the jab is a vaccine. This comment may reference previously debunked claims that only governments are calling the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 jabs “vaccines”, and that the companies themselves call them “biological agents” and an “operating system designed to program humans.” (here)

Secondly, the vaccine is safe. The COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out in the UK were approved after large clinical trials, and Reuters has fact-checked previous claims about their safety (here , here and here).

Thirdly, the lipid nanoparticles in a COVID-19 vaccine to do not modify your DNA. Lipid nanoparticles are tiny droplets of substances that are not soluble in water, like fats, whose role is to transport and protect the vaccine component, as explained in another Reuters fact check (here).

None of the COVID-19 vaccines modify your DNA. Confusion around this issue may have arisen from new mRNA technology used in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which involve the injection of a small part of the virus’s genetic code (RNA) to stimulate immune response in a patient without an infection (here and here). The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is described as a viral vector vaccine, which uses a modified virus to deliver the instructions into the recipients cells and trigger an immune response (here and bit.ly/2ZJbvRW). Reuters has debunked similar claims here , here and here .

Finally, the speaker adds: “We’re human beings, we produce these things in our body anyway. Your vaccine is your fruits and your vegetables.” (2.48) This is false. The NHS states that while there are many health benefits of eating a balanced diet (here), a COVID-19 vaccine will give you the best protection against the novel coronavirus (here and here).

VERDICT

False. This video repeats misinformation about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .