What’s in a COVID-19 vaccine? COSI’s president sheds light on vaccine ingredients

There are fewer ingredients in a COVID-19 vaccine than there are in a candy bar or in a can of soda, Fredric Bertley, the president and CEO of the Center of Science and Industry said. Bertley, an immunologist, spoke in a short video about the ingredients in the vaccine to encourage Ohioans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Bertley said there is a lot of misinformation about what can be found inside a COVID-19 vaccination, but in reality, there is only water, sugar, salt, fat and a building block for a protein that teaches your body how to fight against the coronavirus.

What’s in the vaccine? Dr. Frederic Bertley, president and CEO of @COSI, breaks down what’s in the #COVID19 vaccine. #InThisTogetherOhio #GetTheShotOhio https://t.co/p44wrIdrBe pic.twitter.com/eGaBbkMfdA
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) April 17, 2021

“That’s less stuff than a candy bar or a can of pop,” Bertley said in the video. “The vaccine could save your life and that’s why I’ll take the shot.”

Bertley has a Ph.D. in Immunology from McGill University. He has worked internationally in preventative medicine in Haiti, The Sudan and the Canadian Arctic, his biography on COSI’s website shows. He has also worked with a vaccine research group at Harvard Medical School that focused on the development of DNA for vaccines against HIV/AIDS.

As of Saturday, 4,345,834 people in Ohio have had at least one vaccine dose, the Ohio Department of Health reported, with 43,970 vaccine doses started in the past 24 hours. Approximately 37 percent of Ohio’s population has had at least one dose. Just over 3 million Ohioans have completed their vaccine dose, or just under 26 percent of the state’s population. As of Saturday, 3,012,619 people have completed their vaccine dose, the ODH reported.

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About the Author

Micah Karr

Micah Karr, a Beavercreek native has been on a breaking news desk since 2019. She has been part of Ohio Newspapers' Breaking News Team since March 2020 and has enjoyed every minute of it. She is a graduate of Wright State's Media Studies program. Before she worked with Cox Media, she wrote for Wright State's Newsroom.