diff --git a/gracedb/events/buildVOEvent.py b/gracedb/events/buildVOEvent.py
index a72bd4dcc81ce5d1c719ef0d6233d60b931a9666..95901b847dcd4ac2b6d399ac43249deae4b51741 100644
--- a/gracedb/events/buildVOEvent.py
+++ b/gracedb/events/buildVOEvent.py
@@ -180,11 +180,11 @@ def buildVOEvent(event, serial_number, voevent_type, request=None, skymap_filena
         Description=["VOEvent alert type"]))
 
     w.add_Param(Param(name="Retraction",
-        dataType="string",
-        ucd="meta.code",
+        dataType="int",
+        ucd="meta.number",
         unit="",
-        value= "true" if voevent_type == 'retraction' else "false",
-        Description=["Set to true if the event is retracted."]))
+        value=(1 if voevent_type == 'retraction' else 0),
+        Description=["Set to 1 if the event is retracted, otherwise 0"]))
 
     # Shib protected event page
     # Whether the event is a hardware injection or not
diff --git a/gracedb/superevents/buildVOEvent.py b/gracedb/superevents/buildVOEvent.py
index 913e715033aab5e72dd99ac2c8c3b59b618213fd..6d593030cc3b1ee74c1190f2c1310dcad78a4268 100644
--- a/gracedb/superevents/buildVOEvent.py
+++ b/gracedb/superevents/buildVOEvent.py
@@ -176,11 +176,11 @@ def construct_voevent_file(superevent, voevent, request=None,
         Description=["VOEvent alert type"]))
 
     w.add_Param(Param(name="Retraction",
-        dataType="string",
-        ucd="meta.code",
+        dataType="int",
+        ucd="meta.number",
         unit="",
-        value= "true" if voevent_type == 'retraction' else "false",
-        Description=["Set to true if the event is retracted."]))
+        value=(1 if voevent_type == 'retraction' else 0),
+        Description=["Set to 1 if the event is retracted, otherwise 0"]))
 
     # Whether the event is a hardware injection or not
     w.add_Param(Param(name="HardwareInj",