A Genetics Expert Helps Us Make Sense of COVID-19 Vaccines

Information about the COVID-19 vaccines is rapidly emerging. Suddenly, we’re hearing terms like mRNA and DNA everywhere. For some of us, we haven’t thought about these concepts since high school biology… and now we have to make health decisions based on these concepts, which brings up questions. How exactly do these COVID-19 mRNA vaccines work? How risky are they, and can they change our DNA? In this episode we speak to a genetic counselor, a specialist in genetics, to make sense of what’s going on around us. As always, we suggest ways help you navigate and apply things in your life. 

For more information on the topics discussed in this episode, visit https://www.aboutgeneticcounselors.org/ and the following webpages:

•  “COVID-19 Vaccines Can’t Alter Your DNA, Here’s Why” by Victoria Forster in Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2021/01/11/covid-19-vaccines-cant-alter-your-dna-heres-why/?sh=26ff7a3d2491
• “How Do the COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Work?” by Ellen Matloff in Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenmatloff/2020/11/21/the-covid-19-vaccines-that-genomics-built/?sh=152d6a075cdb 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Understanding mRNA Vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html  

You can reach special guest, Lydia Higgs at: lkhiggs@carilionclinic.org