Messenger RNA (mRNA) technologies are increasingly used in the development and manufacture of vaccines, e.g. COVID-19. There are currently no mRNA vaccines licensed for use in animals, but this will likely change in the coming years. We conducted a survey of the Australian public (n=2700) about people’s understanding of mRNA vaccines and their attitudes towards their use in people and animals. A subset of the questions related to the (currently hypothetical) consumption of beef meat and dairy from animals that have been vaccinated with mRNA vaccines. This was inspired by a 2023 online campaign that raised ‘mRNA meat’ as a problem and subsequent official reassurance statements.
Most respondents (75%) said they would be willing to receive an mRNA vaccine in the future. However a majority indicated some level of concern with the idea of consuming meat and dairy from animals (64-82%) vaccinated with mRNA vaccines. A slightly higher proportion expressed concern about giving milk from mRNA vaccinated cows to children.
In this paper we will talk about this apparent incongruity by calling on ideas of selective mistrust and withdrawing trust in the context of vaccine and food safety. Using arguments about mistrust of GMO foods as a comparator, and drawing on ideas of ‘clean’ and natural food we argue that accepting mRNA vaccine as an injection while rejecting it in other forms may not demonstrate misaligned values.