Debunking COVID Vaccine Myths

With so many resisting the call to get the COVID-19 vaccine, we dug into to some of the most common responses, making sure to check multiple sources for our information. Please share this with those who are hesitant to get vaccinated for any of the reasons we list–we need to work together to keep this virus at bay and avoid another potential lockdown.

  1. “I don’t want to get COVID-19 from the vaccine.” 

    None of the vaccines used in the US contain a piece of real coronavirus. Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use mRNA, which give our bodies “instructions” for how to make and fight the harmless spike-shaped proteins that will protect against a COVID-19 infection. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a viral vector vaccine that does not contain a live virus. It uses a harmless adenovirus to create a spike protein that the immune system responds to, creating antibodies to protect against COVID-19.

    Source: getvaccineanswers.org (developed with and vetted by the CDC)

  2. “We don’t know what the long-term side effects are.” 

    Historically, “The vast majority of vaccine side effects occur not long after getting the shot,” said Dr. Gabor Kelen, head of the emergency medicine department at Johns Hopkins University. Allergic reactions, which are rare, happen within moments; most other side effects emerge and dissipate within weeks. While the vaccines use new technology, researchers have been studying them for decades.

    The FDA required each of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines to be studied for at least eight weeks after the final dose. Millions of people have received COVID-19 vaccines, and no long-term side effects have been detected.

    Source: latimes.com, getvaccineanswers.org

  3. “The vaccine might hurt my fertility.”

    No, getting the COVID-19 vaccine will not affect your fertility. Women actively trying to conceive may be vaccinated with the current COVID-19 vaccines — there is no reason to delay pregnancy after completing the vaccine series.

    Confusion around this issue arose when a false report surfaced on social media, saying that the spike protein on this coronavirus was the same as another spike protein called syncitin-1 that is involved in the growth and attachment of the placenta during pregnancy. The false report said that getting the COVID-19 vaccine would cause a woman’s body to fight this different spike protein and affect her fertility. The two spike proteins are completely different, and getting the COVID-19 vaccine will not affect the fertility of women who are seeking to become pregnant, including through in vitro fertilization methods. During the Pfizer vaccine tests, 23 women volunteers involved in the study became pregnant, and the only one in the trial who suffered a pregnancy loss had received a placebo and not the actual vaccine.

    Source: hopkinsmedicine.org

  4. “It’s none of your business if I don’t get vaccinated.”

    Refusing the COVID-19 vaccine impacts your loved ones, the larger community and country not just yourself . Even if your circle is vaccinated but you aren’t, you can still carry and spread the virus. By choosing not to be vaccinated, you’re giving the virus an opportunity to replicate and potentially create new variants that are more resistant to immunization, endangering your community as a whole. 

    While personal choice is an important freedom, it doesn’t carry much weight in a situation where this infection affects everyone. You are giving the virus a chance to prolong the pandemic and cause more shutdowns, straining the economy and our medical system.  

  5. “I’m young and healthy, so I don’t need to get vaccinated.”

    Yes, young people may be less likely to become seriously ill compared to senior citizens or people who are immunocompromised, but that doesn’t mean you have a surefire pass if you’re young and you get COVID-19. Young people end up in the hospital and they do die — if they survive, some can live with debilitating symptoms that last for months or more.

    As a young adult with mild symptoms, you can still pass the virus to others whose immune systems are not as strong. 

    Source: latimes.com