Fact vs. Fiction: Did FDA Sidestep Guidelines on mRNA Vaccine Testing, as Claimed by Florida Surgeon General Ladapo?

Claim by Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo :

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC, violated their own guidelines by not testing the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for DNA integration.

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have always played it fast and loose with COVID-19 vaccine safety, but their failure to test for DNA integration with the human genome – as their own guidelines dictate – when the vaccines are known to be contaminated with foreign DNA is intolerable.”

Reasoning:

Experts and the FDA clarified that the guidelines in question apply to DNA vaccines, not mRNA vaccines, rendering the claim inaccurate. Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo’s assertion that mRNA vaccines were improperly tested for DNA integration was countered by detailed explanations from health authorities and scientists. According to AAP Fact Check, the FDA and experts like Peter Marks, Kristine Dye, and David Gorski emphasized that the mRNA vaccine manufacturing process involves steps that minimize DNA presence to trace amounts, which do not pose a risk of integrating into human DNA.

The concern over DNA integration applies to vaccines where DNA is the main component, unlike mRNA vaccines where DNA presence is incidental and minimal. Additionally, the body’s natural defenses against foreign DNA further mitigate any hypothetical risks associated with trace DNA in mRNA vaccines.

Fact or Fiction?

Fiction. The claim that the FDA breached its guidelines by not testing the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for DNA integration is false. The guidelines cited do not pertain to mRNA vaccines but rather to DNA vaccines. The FDA and health experts have affirmed that all proper procedures were followed, debunking concerns over DNA integration related to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.