According to a recent survey, only 59% of French people are ready to be vaccinated. France is one of the most vaccine-skeptical countries in the world.

This is the case of Dr Louis Fouché, this young anesthetist-resuscitator works in an establishment of the Public Assistance of the Marseillais Hospitals. He supports Professor Raoult and hydroxychloroquine and answers questions from a group of yellow vests saying what he thinks of the COVID-19 vaccine:

“The virus has already mutated four times since March. The vaccine cannot work.”

It’s wrong ! All viruses mutate, that’s normal. When they infect our cells, they multiply by making copies. Sometimes there are “mistakes” called mutations. In the case of Sars-Cov-2, there have not been 4 mutations since March as stated by Dr Louis Fouché but several dozen mutations already observed, without there being clear consequences on the epidemic .

A mutation that would compromise the effectiveness of the vaccine

This is theoretically possible but there is no scientific proof yet that such a mutation exists. In the case of the vaccine, it is the mutations around the Spike protein that could be troublesome.

The Spike protein with the little peaks around the virus allows the virus to enter our cells. The vaccine will teach our body to recognize the Spike protein to trigger an immune system response.

If it mutates, if it changes shape, the vaccine works less well or not at all. No study has yet shown that the Spike protein has mutated to the point of compromising vaccination.

There has been a concern around Danish patients, infected via mink. These animals can become reservoirs for viruses and promote mutations but this remains at the stage of hypothesis. All mink were slaughtered as a precaution.

Side effects that are scary

Fears also exist around the effectiveness of the vaccine, but on the networks, some say that messenger RNA-based vaccines could modify our DNA … This is fake news propagated in particular by Thierry Casasnovas.

Thierry Casasnovas has a Youtube channel on which he gives health advice. Adept of fasting and a raw diet, based on fruits and vegetables. He is very popular with 500,000 subscribers, he has no medical training and his speech worries the authorities. Several reports have been made to Miviludes, the body responsible for combating sectarian aberrations. An investigation was even opened by the Paris prosecutor’s office for “endangering others”.

Here is what he said about the new messenger RNA-based vaccine, a project led by the Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna laboratories:

“There’s a fucking tsunami, a wave that’s happening to us with the stories of vaccination for the coronavirus which are the first RNA vaccines. That is to say, vaccines that will come and change your tone. genetic code”.

To sum up, he fears that these RNA vaccines will modify our DNA, and that they will transform us into mutants …

What is a messenger RNA vaccine?

Messenger RNA is a novel technology for a vaccine, RNA or ribonucleic acid.

Researchers extract part of the genetic material, messenger RNA. It will be packaged in a dose of vaccine and then injected into the body. Messenger RNA enters our cells and triggers a response from our immune system. It will make antibodies that will neutralize the virus. The patient is thus protected …

Can RNA Modify Genetic Heritage?

Messenger RNA, which is the part of the genetic code of the virus injected, cannot act on our DNA for two reasons:

  • The virus’s RNA does not enter the nucleus of our cells. Now, this is where our DNA is.
  • Even if it did, the virus’ messenger RNA cannot work with our DNA – our genetic makeup.

Messenger RNA is only used to make proteins. In the case of the vaccine with the RNA of the virus, it will manufacture the Spike protein which will trigger the immune response. Messenger RNA is a very fragile molecule that only lives in our body for a very short time. The new messenger RNA vaccines will not change our DNA, our genetic identity card.

Are these innovative vaccines safe?

All vaccines, like all medicines, can have side effects, which are fortunately mostly mild. For vaccines, it’s a little fever or pain at the injection site.

Usually, side effects happen quite quickly. There are therefore already returns for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines over at least 2 months.

The FDA, the US drug agency has asked laboratories to wait at least 2 months after the last injection to file an urgent authorization request. The effects are moderate and affect a minority of volunteers.

Obviously, with these new vaccines, and especially those based on messenger RNA, there are still questions about their long-term effects:

  • What are the long-term side effects, several months or years after the injection?
  • How long will the immune response they elicit last? A few months or several years?

Long-term monitoring

All vaccines will continue to be monitored after they are placed on the market, this is called pharmacovigilance. It is a device, piloted by the ANSM, the drug agency, which makes it possible to monitor the adverse effects of vaccines after they have been placed on the market.

It involves the laboratories that produce them, health professionals and patients.

You can report side effects of vaccines and drugs on a site. These data thus go back to the health authorities. These vaccines can therefore have undesirable effects, but everything is done to avoid them and they will be monitored.