Claims that the coronavirus vaccine supposedly changes the human genome and was invented only for profit can rightly be attributed to myths. This was stated by Doctor of Biological Sciences, professor at the School of Systems Biology at George Mason University (Virginia, USA), virologist Ancha Baranova. In an interview with Lente.ru, she dispelled eight main myths about coronavirus vaccination.
The first myth and one of the main arguments of anti-vaccines is that the coronavirus vaccine supposedly changes the human genome, integrates into cells and reproduces itself. Professor Baranova noted that theoretically the vaccine can be incorporated into DNA. Moreover, with the help of this evolutionary mechanism, most of the new genes are formed. But in practice, the probability of DNA rearrangement is reduced to zero.
In addition, people who refuse vaccinations argue that naturally generated immunity is much safer than vaccination. Baranova recalled that when the coronavirus first appeared, scientists predicted a quick victory over it, but it turned out that natural immunity alone was not enough. It is difficult to measure the duration of natural immunity after an illness under vaccination conditions, the professor explained. People who have had a coronavirus also become infected and can be seriously ill, Baranova added.
Some are sure that after being vaccinated against coronavirus, you can immediately get sick with something more serious. Baranova believes that much in this case depends on the behavior in the population. For example, you opened the doors, didn’t wash your hands, and went to dinner. It is more likely that you will subsequently be diagnosed with the respiratory syncytia virus, the scientist noted.
The fourth myth – that among the vaccinated there are massive side effects and even deaths, which the state is silent about – according to Baranova, fits into the saying “you can’t hide an awl in a bag”. She stressed that it makes sense to compare only the relative cases of infection in separate groups. And side effects arise from almost any vaccine, and “these are just the effects of vaccination,” Baranova noted. “As a biologist, I do not see that states are silent about the adverse effects of vaccines. There is no such thing in Russia either, ”the biologist assured.
The counter-argument of many anti-vaccine users is that the mortality rate among patients with coronavirus is greatly overestimated, and that the infection was invented by the authorities for enrichment – this is the fifth myth that Lenta.ru talked about with Baranova. “Do you know how much is invented for the sake of profit? For example, the same school. Why do children go there? Again, you need to buy school uniforms, textbooks, notebooks, ”she said. And the thesis that the coronavirus does not exist, the professor called “just ridiculous.”
According to Baranova, a pandemic is an emergency that requires the fastest possible response. Therefore, the sixth myth, associated with the fact that the vaccine is supposedly crude, because it was invented too quickly, she also refuted. “In fact, the quality of the vaccine does not depend at all on how many days we worked on it,” the biologist said.
The vaccine does not guarantee complete protection against the disease, therefore it makes no sense to do it – another, seventh myth about vaccination against coronavirus. According to Baranova, only a good immune response serves as a signal of proper protection – it is recommended to check it after vaccination. The biologist added that cases of infection in different groups have already been considered. It turned out that the vaccinated have at least ten times less infectivity. These studies have demonstrated that antibody response is directly correlated with immunity, she said.
There is also an opinion that the infectiousness will be high both with and without vaccination, because the virus mutates, and the vaccine “does not keep up” with new strains. This is the eighth myth. Baranova insists that the vaccine was not created for the race for mutations. The biologist admitted that it is possible to make the vaccine even overtake the virus. To do this, it is enough to evolve it in a test tube and monitor the result. In the meantime, it is clear that SARS-CoV-2 has merged into the structure of our pathogens.
“In the near future he [коронавирус] will torment humanity, and we will have to periodically vaccinate against it, ”Baranova stated.
This was stated by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. Vaccination remains the most reliable way to protect yourself from coronavirus infection, he said. Russia now has all the conditions for people to have no difficulties getting vaccinated, added Mishustin.
43,000,000
human
vaccinated against coronavirus in Russia
At the same time, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the number of deaths in Russia is growing every day. The pandemic is returning in new waves and with more aggressive strains. In a number of Russian regions, the number of beds for patients is rapidly decreasing, the press secretary of the Russian president emphasized.
Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko, in turn, stressed that hospitals where patients with COVID-19 are treated have the highest workload. His words lead RIA News… The head of the Ministry of Health called for more active involvement of Russians in the process of vaccination against COVID-19.
The increase in the incidence over the last week amounted to 16 percent, in 11 regions of the country the rate of increase in the incidence was recorded at the level of 30 percent. The daily incidence of COVID-19 also continues to rise. So, as of October 14, in Russia 31,299 new cases were recorded per day – this is the maximum since the beginning of the pandemic.