Exploring the Health Considerations: Unpacking Potential Risks Associated with COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines

On December 6, 2023, Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, Florida State Surgeon General, wrote a letter to the heads of two important health organizations. He had questions about the safety of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

In simple terms, he was worried about tiny pieces of genetic material in the vaccines. These genetic pieces could be contaminants, and they were found alongside the lipids and other stuff in the vaccines. There was also concern about a specific type of DNA that might pose a risk of integrating into our cells.

Now, does this worry have a basis in science? Let’s look at the evidence.

Exogenous mRNA, which means introducing external genetic material into the body, was first suggested in 1990 for medical purposes [1]. People have become more interested in using this approach to create new RNA-based treatments [2, 3]. Two main types of RNA-based technologies are currently used in medicine: messenger RNA (mRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA). These are applied in various ways, such as for cancer treatment, making up for missing proteins, editing genes, and vaccines.

The main idea behind this technology is relatively straightforward: with mRNA, we can give the body instructions to fix a…