Do COVID-19 vaccines contain animal products?

Posted on by FactCheckNI

CLAIM: Vegans cannot take COVID-19 vaccines because they contain animal products. 

CONCLUSION: INACCURATE. No COVID-19 vaccine currently in use contains animal products. 

Context

On The Nolan Show (30/11/21 from 10.21) a caller claimed that “…[t]here are some people who cannot get the vaccine. Some people are allergic to the ingredients, others have had adverse reactions in the past. Vegans can not take it because it contains animal products, and there are people who because of their faith cannot take it.”

This fact check considers the ingredients of COVID-19 vaccines and whether or not they contain animal products. FactCheckNI has previously fact checked other claims about the composition and ingredients of COVID-19 vaccines. 

Are there animal products in the vaccine?

The NHS website clearly states that “the COVID-19 vaccines do not contain egg or animal products.”.

It also links to information on the ingredients in the Moderna, Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out in the UK. 

Other considerations for vegans

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Foundation acknowledges that companies that make vaccines and other medicines are required by law to carry out certain tests – some of which may involve using animals – before they can market their products. PETA state: “as long as tests on animals are a legal requirement, refusing to take a medicine on ethical grounds will not help animals who have already been used in tests or spare any the same fate in the future”. 

 

Does Northern Ireland have some of the worst insulated houses?

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CLAIM: Northern Ireland has some of the worst insulated houses in Western Europe.

CONCLUSION: UNSUBSTANTIATED. There are unknown data for home insulation measures across Europe. A manufacturer’s survey suggests that houses in Great Britain perform poorly in retaining heating temperatures. Continue reading Does Northern Ireland have some of the worst insulated houses?

Is Northern Ireland the only part of Europe without climate change legislation?

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CLAIM: Northern Ireland is the only part of Europe that does not have climate change legislation.

CONCLUSION: ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION. The Northern Ireland Assembly has not yet passed its own legislation, unlike the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. However, there is UK climate-related legislation that extends to Northern Ireland. Elsewhere in Europe, Azerbaijan has no national climate legislation. Continue reading Is Northern Ireland the only part of Europe without climate change legislation?

Does Northern Ireland produce enough to feed 10 million people?

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CLAIM: Northern Ireland produces enough to feed 10 million people (annually).

CONCLUSION: ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION. The Northern Ireland agricultural sector produces enough protein to meet the needs of 10m adults. However, production is only sufficient to meet the energy requirements of 4.7m adults. Continue reading Does Northern Ireland produce enough to feed 10 million people?

Are 75% of non-voters in Northern Ireland pro-Union?

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CLAIM: Three-quarters of non-voters in Northern Ireland are pro-Union.

CONCLUSION: ACCURATE. The claim that three-quarters of non-voters in Northern Ireland are pro-Union is based on evidence from a research survey commissioned on behalf of the University of Liverpool. It found that 76.9% of respondents who did not vote in the 2009 General election and who stated a constitutional preference chose “to remain part of the UK”. 

UPDATE: This article was updated on 16 November 2021. A section that compared the percentage of non-voters identified across four different organisations’ polls was removed. We made this simplification after further discussions with polling organisations. This clarification did not affect FactCheckNI’s original conclusion about the claim. Continue reading Are 75% of non-voters in Northern Ireland pro-Union?

Does Northern Ireland spend least per pupil?

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CLAIM: Northern Ireland spends less on each school pupil’s education than any other part of the UK.

CONCLUSION: ACCURATE. Spending on schools per head of population in Northern Ireland is similar to England, Scotland, and Wales. However, Northern Ireland’s comparatively large school age population means that spending per pupil is lower than elsewhere in the UK. Continue reading Does Northern Ireland spend least per pupil?