The Astrazenica uses an Adenovirus. There is an extra genome sequence added to cells so that if the virus is picked up the antibodies can respond quicker and reduce the risk of death. However, it does not get replicated in the mRNA therefore the vaccine does not pass the genome in cell replication. So in theory mitosis will not carry the new genome sequence. This means that it does not genetically modify humans.
It is important to understand that the COVID-19 virus does take over the mRNA in cells which is normal for those types of viruses and it is the job of the T-Cells to kill them off. So the extra genome will help in the process but only during the lifetime of these cells and for some time after whilst the T-Cells respond to do a clean up after the adenovirus vaccine. The new COVID-19 variant could have the same technology used to fight against it and it depends on how the new variant has changed.
There is a full article from the New York Times about how Astrazentica’s COVID-19 adenovirus vaccine works. There have been a number of studies leading up to the technology especially in the study of cancer in humans. This ties in with the T-Cell concepts whereby cells have to be ‘unmasked’ to the T-Cell antibodies. It was not developed overnight so there is no need to be afraid.
