Dispel the Myths Surrounding the COVID-19 Vaccine

FACT:

While the SARS-CoV-2 virus is like the influenza virus since they are both contagious respiratory diseases with similar symptoms, the viruses are different and affect people differently. Symptoms of COVID-19 generally appear two to 14 days after infection, while symptoms of flu generally appear one to four days after infection. COVID-19 is more contagious and spreads more quickly than the flu. In addition, people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus may lose their sense of taste and/or smell. Severe illness, lung injury, and/or long-term effects are more frequent with COVID-19 than with the flu. COVID-19 also causes complications, such as blood clots and multisystem inflammatory syndrome.¹

FACT:

COVID-19 vaccines cannot cause you to test positive on viral tests. If your body develops an immune response to vaccination (which is intended), it's possible you could test positive on antibody tests. These tests indicate that you had a previous infection and that your body may have developed some protection against the virus.²

FACT:

COVID-19 vaccines do not create or cause virus variants to arise. Instead, COVID-19 vaccines can help prevent new variants from developing. New variants emerge because the virus that causes COVID-19 constantly changes, and as the virus spreads, it finds more opportunities to mutate. Vaccination reduces the virus's spread, which helps prevent new variants from evolving²

FACT:

The most widely used COVID-19 tests initially could detect only the SARS-CoV-2 virus and not the flu. However, in July 2021, CDC began using the "multiplexed method," a new test that could check for both influenza and COVID-19 simultaneously, which caused many to believe the original tests couldn't distinguish the SARS-CoV-2 virus from other viruses. CDC switched to the multiplexed PCR test since it can diagnose both viruses at the same time.³

FACT:

While PCR tests are considered the "gold standard" for diagnosing COVID-19, rapid tests (or antigen tests) provide a diagnosis in minutes rather than days, which can help determine whether someone is contagious and can spread the virus to others. PCR tests are based on detecting the genetic material inside the coronavirus, which means it can detect an infection in the earliest stages, often days before symptoms start. Rapid tests swab the nose to look for viral antigens (proteins). The more antigens detected, the more likely the test will be positive.⁴

FACT:

There was some truth to this myth at the beginning when natural immunity in individuals previously infected with COVID-19 had greater protection against the Delta variant, but when the Omicron variant emerged, that was no longer the case. Natural immunity from a past COVID-19 infection varies greatly, whereas vaccine-related immunity has been studied in-depth and is relatively consistent. The COVID-19 vaccines provide safer, better, and longer-lasting protection against serious illness than a previous infection. It's much safer to get vaccinated than it is to risk a potentially severe bout with COVID-19.²

FACT:

Also referred to as "community immunity," herd immunity is a public health term used to describe a case in which the potential for person-to-person spread is significantly reduced due to the broader community's resistance against a particular pathogen. High herd immunity levels have enabled the United States to largely control polio and measles, caused by viruses that have not evolved significantly. However, achieving herd immunity with respiratory viruses such as influenza, which continually mutate, has been less successful. While previously infected individuals' immune systems will recognize the COVID-19 variants, it is unknown what level of immunity against a specific variant or how degraded the immune response will be. However, current vaccines recognize the COVID-19 variants and induce excellent immunity against them.^{5, 6}

FACT:

According to CDC, there is nothing dangerous about the COVID-19 vaccine ingredients. They don't contain preservatives, tissues, antibiotics, food proteins, medicines, latex, metals, microchips, or live viruses—Here's what they do contain:⁷

• Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech: mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid), lipids, and sugar. The Moderna vaccine also contains acetic acid and acid stabilizers.
• Novavax: a SARS-CoV-2 recombinant spike protein made from moth cells; an adjuvant that contains saponins (a soap-like substance derived from the soapbark tree); salts; food additives (disodium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate and sodium dihydrogen phosphate monohydrate); cholesterol; phosphatidylcholine (a chemical found in many foods such as eggs and soybeans); and water.

FACT:

mRNA vaccines are real vaccines. Research and development into using mRNA technology to create vaccines has been underway for years. mRNA vaccines differ from other vaccines in that they do not contain a weakened version of the virus but instead trigger an immune response by teaching cells in the body to make a harmless piece of a spike protein found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. Cells then display this spike protein on their surface, and the immune system responds by producing antibodies against it.²

FACT:

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines do not alter a person's DNA. The mRNA vaccines never enter the nucleus of the cell (the place where a person's DNA is stored). Instead, after injection, the mRNA from the vaccine is released into the cytoplasm of the cells, and once the viral protein is made and on the cell's surface, mRNA is broken down, and the body permanently rids itself of it, and all the other vaccine ingredients. The mRNA does not have a chance to change a person's DNA.²

FACT:

There is currently no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause fertility problems. Several studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of vaccines on fertility and pregnancy have all shown that the COVID-19 vaccines do not affect sperm and are safe for pregnant people or those who wish to become pregnant in the future.²

FACT:

No evidence shows that the COVID-19 vaccines don't protect against variants, and boosters are now being designed to target the latest variants. Researchers found boosters offered substantial protection among adults with healthy immune systems eligible to receive them during the Omicron variant evolution in early 2022. Importantly, vaccines help stop the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which decreases the ability of the virus to mutate and thus helps prevent other variants from emerging.⁸

FACT:

While it is true that there are treatments available for COVID-19, the best way to avoid severe illness, hospitalization, and death is by getting vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.^{9, 10}

FACT:

There is one treatment, Evusheld, that can help protect some people from COVID-19 before they are exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but CDC emphasizes that it is not a substitute for a COVID-19 vaccine. However, many myths are being spread about using other things to prevent or treat COVID-19, including:¹¹

• Antibiotics: Antibiotics can only treat bacterial infections, not viruses, so antibiotics should not be used to prevent or treat the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
• Exposure to cold weather: There is no evidence that cold weather can kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
• Taking vitamin D supplements: There is no evidence that vitamin D supplementation can prevent or treat the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
• Drinking water: While it's important to hydrate when ill, drinking water will not wash the virus down a person's throat and into the stomach, where it will be killed by stomach acid or prevent the virus from entering the lungs.
• Ingesting highly toxic products: Toxic substances like disinfectants, bleach, and/or rubbing alcohol are hazardous when consumed. They should never be ingested or rubbed excessively on the body.
• Taking medicines approved for animals: Ivermectin — a drug that controls parasites in animals and humans — will not prevent or cure COVID-19. Formulations for animals differ from formulations for people and thus can be very toxic to humans.

FACT:

While most people who contract the SARS-CoV-2 virus recuperate within a few weeks, some symptoms last for a long time afterward. There are a variety of names for this, including post-COVID-19 syndrome, post-COVID conditions, long COVID, long-haul COVID-19, and post-acute sequelae of SARS-COV-2 infection. With long COVID, individuals experience new, returning, or ongoing symptoms that last more than four weeks after contracting the virus, and for some, these symptoms last for months or years. The most common symptoms include fatigue, symptoms that worsen after physical or mental effort, and fever and lung (respiratory) symptoms, including difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, and cough. But other more serious symptoms include:¹²

• Neurological symptoms or mental health conditions, including difficulty thinking or concentrating, headache, sleep problems, dizziness when standing, loss of smell or taste, pins-and-needles feeling, and depression or anxiety
• Joint or muscle pain
• Heart symptoms or conditions, including chest pain and fast or pounding heartbeat
• Digestive symptoms, including diarrhea and stomach pain
• Blood clots and blood vessel (vascular) issues, including a blood clot that travels to the lungs from deep veins in the legs and blocks blood flow to the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• Other symptoms, such as a rash and changes in the menstrual cycle

FACT:

Thanks to vaccination and mitigation efforts, COVID-19 is no longer considered a public health emergency. However, it is too early for people to let their guard down, as COVID-19 and its variants could still emerge worldwide. Additionally, the possibility of overcrowded healthcare facilities and systems at the height of respiratory disease seasons remains a concern.¹³