Social media users have been sharing online posts claiming that COVID-19 vaccines contain aborted human fetal cells, triton X-100, thimerosal, and aluminum. This claim is false.
This shared post states: “The CDC’s new slogan is #VaccineWithConfidence. MRC-5 cells are aborted male fetuses; WI-38 are females. TritionX-100 is a detergent used in spermicide. Thimerosal is 49.5% mercury. Aluminum is a neurotoxin. See other vaccine ingredients here: cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/… (view from incomplete link).”
In a fact-checking article by Reuters, the false claims made through this post are presented, as well as their denunciation, through some already known facts.
In the United States, the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but they have not yet been fully approved by the FDA. At the time of publication of this questionable post, in February 2021, there was no fully FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine.
PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 vaccine
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is administered intramuscularly in two doses, three weeks apart (here).
A fact sheet on the FDA website here reveals the ingredients in the vaccine. It includes RNA, lipids, potassium chloride, monobasic potassium phosphate, sodium chloride, dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate, and sucrose.
It does not list aborted human male fetal cells, triton X-100, thimerosal, or aluminum in its ingredients.
MODERN COVID-19 vaccine
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is injected into the muscle in two doses, one month apart (here).
A fact sheet on the FDA website reveals the ingredients in the vaccine. They include RNA, lipids, cholesterol, 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, tromethamine, tromethamine hydrochloride, acetic acid, sodium acetate, and sucrose.
As a result, this list of ingredients does not include aborted human male fetal cells, triton X-100, thimerosal, or aluminum as claimed in the aforementioned post shared on social media.
You can read the fact-checked article by Reuters in English at the following link: https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-covid-vaccine-ingredients/fact-check-covid-19-vaccines-do-not-contain-the-ingredients-listed-in-these-posts-idUSKBN2AQ2SW