Myth 1: You Don’t Need The Vaccine If You’ve Already Had COVID-19
Fact: There is evidence to suggest that the COVID 19 vaccines are the most effective protection against the COVID-19 virus, whether you’ve contracted the virus before or not. If you’ve had Covid before and if you are not vaccinated, the chances of you getting re-infected are two times higher than people who had Covid but still got vaccinated. Research also suggests that the immunity that you gain from getting the corona vaccine is higher than the level of immunity you gain after getting Covid. Getting the coronavirus vaccine acts as a protection not just for you but also for others, and helps limit the spread of COVID-19. When you are getting the vaccine, make sure to inform the healthcare professional about your history of COVID-19 including information like when did you got ill, how long back you recovered, what kind of treatment you received and so on.
Myth 2: Women’s Fertility is affected by the COVID-19 vaccine
Fact: The COVID 19 vaccines do not affect fertility. The COVID-19 vaccine is meant to create copies of the spike protein found on the coronavirus’s surface, so that the body’s immune system learns to fight the virus that has the specific spike protein on it. This myth of women’s fertility being affected started doing the rounds when a false report spread on social media that claimed that coronavirus was the same as another spike protein called syncytin-1. This protein is linked to the growth and attachment of the woman’s placenta during pregnancy. The report suggested that the vaccine will fight this other protein instead (syncytin-1) and affect women’s fertility. However, both these spike proteins are completely different and there is no way that the coronavirus vaccine can affect women’s ability to get pregnant.
Myth 3: Researchers rushed the process of developing the COVID-19 vaccines so we cannot be sure about how safe or effective the vaccine is.
Fact: Studies have shown that both covid 19 vaccines: Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, are 95 percent effective. There are numerous reasons why the vaccines became available so quickly, but this has nothing to do with the effectiveness or safety of vaccines being compromised in any way. Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna were created using a method that was in development for many years prior to the pandemic and thus the company could start the development process very quickly. China was prompt in sharing genetic information with scientists in the early stages, which allowed scientists to start working on the vaccine at the earliest. Also, the vaccine developers did not miss any testing stages during the process of corona vaccine development. Instead, they only overlapped some schedules of when they were gathering data to speed up the process. The entire process was also much faster because vaccine projects had enough resources and funding since the governments were invested in the research.
Myth 4: Taking the COVID-19 vaccine will give you COVID-19.
Fact: Getting vaccinated will not give you Covid. The corona vaccine does not have COVID-19 virus in it. Instead, the two authorized mRNA vaccines help your cells reproduce a protein that is part of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, so that if the virus enters your body, your body recognizes it and is prepared to fight it. The protein that the vaccine contains and helps your immune system recognize the virus. It does not and cannot cause COVID-19 infection in you.
Myth 5 – The COVID-19 vaccine has dangerous side effects.
Fact: Both types of covid vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, do have side effects, but these side effects are generally not dangerous or too severe. Once you take the vaccine, people may experience pain on the spot where they were injected, they may have body ache, fever or headaches, however these generally only last for a day or two. This happens because the corona vaccine has started working in your body to stimulate the immune system. In case your symptoms go on for more than two days, you should reach out to your doctor. If you are someone who has allergies that require you to carry an EpiPen, you should discuss it with your doctor before taking the vaccine. The doctor will share more information and will help you understand how you can get the vaccination safely.
Myth 6: If I have taken the COVID-19 vaccine, I do not need to wear the mask anymore.
Fact: While the CDC continues to monitor the spread of COVID-19 virus, it recommends wearing the mask for both vaccinated and non-vaccinated people. The precautions of wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing also need to be followed in hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities as per the CDC’s recommendation.
Myth 7: The COVID-19 vaccines lead to cause variants.
Fact: It is not possible for the COVID-19 to create variants. Infact the COVID-19 vaccine can stop the virus variants from mutating and emerging, since vaccination reduces the spread of the virus.
Myth 8: COVID-19 vaccines cause variants.
Fact: The COVID-19 vaccines are not responsible for variants. Instead, COVID-19 vaccination can ensure that the virus does not mutate too fast and lead to more variants. New variants of the virus emerge because of the process of mutation wherein the virus changes through a natural process. If more and more people get vaccinated, the mutation of the virus can be slowed down since the spread of the virus will be contained through vaccines.
Myth 9: The COVID-19 vaccine contains microchips or a tracking device
Fact: All types of covid vaccines, including the various brands, contain neither microchips nor tracking devices. The vaccines contain the ingredients that help you fight the disease. They do not have anything in them that can track your movement. You can learn more about the ingredients in the vaccination covid 19
here.
Myth 10: The COVID-19 vaccine could alter my DNA.
Fact: All The COVID-19 vaccine does not interact with or have any effect on your DNA. The genetic material of the mRNA vaccines enters the nucleus of your cells where the DNA is. However the vector virus present that is meant to deliver instructions to build protection against the COVID-19 virus does not have the machinery required to alter your DNA in any way. Once your body produces the immune response necessary to fight the virus post vaccination, the body discards all the vaccine ingredients. There is no way the vaccine can alter your DNA in any way.