THE INTERNET. (THECOUNT) — Internet sleuths are calling out Forbes for posting and then altering the headline of a story that originally admitted vaccines ‘change your DNA.”
The original headline read, “Yes, The Vaccines Changes Your DNA, A Tiny Bit. That’s A Good Thing.” The headline was later changed to, “Covid Vaccines Don’t Alter Your DNA – They Help Choose Cells To Strengthen Your Immune Response.”
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From the current Forbes story:
Will a COVID-19 vaccine alter my DNA? No. COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way. Both mRNA and viral vector COVID-19 vaccines deliver instructions (genetic material) to our cells to start building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19. However, the material never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA is kept.”
I see what they’re getting at here. They’re partly right, but in an attempt to give a simple “no” answer, the CDC got it wrong. It’s true that Covid-19 vaccines don’t directly alter your DNA, and it’s true that they don’t invade the cell nucleus, where your DNA resides. But that’s not the full story.
The story goes on to say that, “your DNA are cut and pasted together, in millions of combinations, each making a different antibody. Eventually, one of these antibodies “recognizes” the pathogen…”
Okay, take a deep breath and we’ll dive in. Whenever your body is invaded by a foreign cell–whether it’s a bacteria, a virus, a fungus, or some other pathogen–your immune system starts selecting from among millions of specialized proteins called antibodies, each one a little different. The way it does this is really rather extraordinary: many little pieces of your DNA are cut and pasted together, in millions of combinations, each making a different antibody. Eventually, one of these antibodies “recognizes” the pathogen (by binding to it).
Forbes may have changed the title but they can't change the URL.
live link: https://t.co/ZQWrOga8bB
archive: https://t.co/yBJKyZQDPF pic.twitter.com/64UGCBsZ8m— Qr{ii}st (@QriistReborn) November 30, 2021
Some high profile Twitter users suggested the headline switcheroo was in order:
I read the article. I get why the headline was deleted.
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) December 1, 2021
Sounds like a good editorial correction. Can be misleading to put that in a headline if lots of hedging context is in the body. (Assuming it is.)
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) November 30, 2021
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