How the Covid Vaccines Work in Spanish

This is the fourth of a series of discussions in Spanish about the new COVID-19 vaccines.  

This is the free version of this lesson. By becoming a member, you support the podcast and get access to the full version of this lesson. Thank you for your support. 

The primary purpose of these lessons is to practice useful Spanish vocabulary and phrases when discussing vaccination against COVID-19. Much of the discussion refers to the mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna, and the information regarding all the Covid-19 vaccines may change as we learn more. Therefore, when speaking with patients, you should always use information provided by current trusted medical sources.

In this lesson, Elizabeth Cortéz, my Spanish teacher at Español Sin Límite, discusses how messenger RNA vaccines work and how they cannot alter DNA. We also practice using the imperfect subjunctive and the conditional to make an “if-then” statement in Spanish.

In upcoming lessons, we will discuss contraindications to the messenger RNA vaccines, protection against new strains, administration and more. 

More Lessons on Spanish for COVID-19

LEVEL – ADVANCED

¿Puede alterar el ADN?

2:24

¿La vacuna puede alterar el ADN humano?

No. Ninguna de las vacunas contra Covid-19 puede alterar su ADN.

ninguna de la vacunas
none of the vaccines

(el) Covid-19
Covid-19

(el) ADN
DNA

(el) ARN
RNA

alterar
to alter

No. Ninguna de las vacunas contra Covid19 puede alterar su ADN.
No. None of the Covid19 vaccines can alter your DNA.

From the Member Lesson… 

3:39

Las dos primeras vacunas contienen algo que se llama ARN mensajero que da instrucciones a las células para que fabriquen una proteína del virus. Al presentar esta proteína a su sistema inmunológico, la vacuna le enseña a reconocer el virus y combatirlo en caso de que usted se infectara.

La vacuna nunca entra en el núcleo

4:17

Además, la vacuna nunca entra en el núcleo donde se encuentra el ADN y aún si entrara en el núcleo, no tendría manera de cambiar su ADN.

además
furthermore

(el) núcleo
nucleus

entrar en/a
to enter

Además, la vacuna nunca entra en el núcleo donde se encuentra el ADN.
Furthermore, the vaccine never enters the nucleus where the DNA is located.

Aun si entrara en el núcleo 

5:53

…y aun si entrara en el núcleo, no tendría manera de cambiar su ADN.

aun si
even if

… y aun si entrara en el núcleo, no tendría manera de cambiar su ADN.
… and even if it did enter the nucleus, it would not have a way to change your DNA.

• This is a CONDITIONAL (IF-THEN) STATEMENT, where we use the IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE to present the HYPOTHETICAL condition (“y aun si entrara en el núcleo”) and the CONDITIONAL to present the result of that condition (“no tendría manera de cambiar su ADN”).
• When making a conditional statement using “aun si,” it acts just like “si,” where we can use either the IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE (hypothetical possibility) or the INDICATIVE (likely possibility). The PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE can not follow it.
• Practice conditional statements in Spanish. Quiz #5 – The Subjunctive in Conditional Statements and More (Free lesson).
•  You may recall that you can use AUNQUE + PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE to say, “even if.”
  • Discussion of AUN SI and AUNQUE in Word Reference.
  • In this premium lesson, we explain AUNQUE + SUBJUNTIVO = “even if”:  Subjunctive to Express How and Where. Unlike AUN SI, it can be used with both the imperfect and the present subjunctive.

Además, la vacuna nunca entra en el núcleo donde se encuentra el ADN y aun si entrara en el núcleo, no tendría manera de cambiar su ADN.
Furthermore, the vaccine never enters the nucleus, where the DNA is located, and even if it did enter the nucleus, it would not have a way to change your DNA.