COVID-19 vaccine myths debunked
Mayo Clinic
Vaccines are perhaps the best hope for
ending the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two pharmaceutical companies have applied
for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization for new
COVID-19 vaccines, and a limited number of vaccines will be available before
the end of the year.
It's likely you've heard claims about these
COVID-19 vaccines on social media or from the people in your life.
Also, the rapid development and approval of
these vaccines may make you hesitant about safety or effectiveness.
Let's set the record straight on some of
the myths circulating about COVID-19 vaccines.
Myth: The COVID-19
vaccine is not safe because it was rapidly developed and tested.
Fact: Many pharmaceutical
companies invested significant resources into quickly developing a vaccine for
COVID-19 because of the world-wide impact of the pandemic.
The emergency situation warranted an
emergency response but that does not mean that companies bypassed safety
protocols or didn't perform adequate testing.
Mayo Clinic will recommend the use of those
vaccines that we are confident are safe.
While there are many COVID-19 vaccine
candidates in development, early interim data are encouraging for the Pfizer
vaccine which likely is to be the first authorized for emergency use by the FDA
in the late December/early January timeframe.
This vaccine was created using a novel
technology based on the molecular structure of the virus.
The novel methodology to develop a COVID-19
vaccine allows it to be free from materials of animal origin and synthesized by
an efficient, cell-free process without preservatives.
This vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTecH
has been studied in approximately 43,000 people.
To receive emergency use authorization, the
biopharmaceutical manufacturer must have followed at least half of the study
participants for at least two months after completing the vaccination series,
and the vaccine must be proven safe and effective in that population.
In addition to the safety review by the
FDA, the Advisory Committee on Immunization has convened a panel of vaccine
safety experts to independently evaluate the safety data from the clinical
trial. Mayo Clinic vaccine experts also will review the available data.
The safety of COVID-19 vaccine will
continue to be closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and the FDA.
Myth: I already had
COVID-19 and I have recovered, so I don't need to get a COVID-19 vaccine when
it's available.
Fact: There is not
enough information currently available to say if or for how long after
infection someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again. This is called
natural immunity.
Early evidence suggests natural immunity
from COVID-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better
understand this.
Mayo Clinic recommends getting the COVID-19
vaccine, even if you’ve had COVID-19 previously.
However, those that had COVID-19 should
delay vaccination until about 90 days from diagnosis. People should not get
vaccinated if in quarantine after exposure or if they have COVID-19
symptoms./p>
Myth: There are
severe side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Fact: There are
short-term mild or moderate vaccine reactions that resolve without complication
or injury.
The early phase studies of the Pfizer
vaccine show that it is safe.
About 15% of people developed short lived
symptoms at the site of the injection.
50% developed systemic reactions primarily
headache, chills, fatigue or muscle pain or fever lasting for a day or two.
Keep in mind that these side effects are
indicators that your immune system is responding to the vaccine and are common
when receiving vaccines.
Myth: I won't need
to wear a mask after I get vaccinated for COVID-19.
Fact: It may take
time for everyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccination to get one. Also, while the
vaccine may prevent you from getting sick, it is unknown at this time if you
can still carry and transmit the virus to others.
Until more is understood about how well the
vaccine works, continuing with precautions such as mask-wearing and physical
distancing will be important.
Until more is understood about how well the
vaccine works, continuing with precautions, such as wearing a mask and
practicing physical distancing, will be important.
Myth: More people
will die as a result of a negative side effect to the COVID-19 vaccine than
would actually die from the virus.
Fact: Circulating
on social media is the claim that COVID-19's mortality rate is 1%-2% and that
people should not be vaccinated against a virus with a high survival rate.
However, a 1% mortality rate is 10 times
more lethal than the seasonal flu. In addition, the mortality rate can vary
widely and is influenced by age, sex and underlying health condition.
While some people that receive the vaccine
may develop symptoms as their immune system responds, remember that this is
common when receiving any vaccine and not considered serious or
life-threatening.
You cannot get COVID-19 infection from the
COVID-19 vaccines; they are inactivated vaccines and not live viruses.
It's important to recognize that getting
the vaccine is not just about survival from COVID-19.
It's about preventing spread of the virus
to others and preventing infection that can lead to long-term negative health
effects.
While no vaccine is 100% effective, they
are far better than not getting a vaccine. The benefits certainly outweigh the
risks in healthy people.
Myth: The COVID-19
vaccine was developed to control the general population either through microchip
tracking or "nanotransducers" in our brains.
Fact: There is no
vaccine microchip, and the vaccine will not track people or gather personal
information into a database.
This myth started after comments made by
Bill Gates from The Gates Foundation about a digital certificate of vaccine
records.
The technology he was referencing is not a
microchip, has not been implemented in any manner and is not tied to the
development, testing or distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
Myth: COVID-19 vaccines will alter my DNA.
Fact: The first
COVID-19 vaccines to reach the market are likely to be messenger RNA (mRNA)
vaccines.
According to the CDC, mRNA vaccines work by
instructing cells in the body how to make a protein that triggers an immune
response.
Injecting mRNA into your body will not
interact or do anything to the DNA of your cells. Human cells break down and
get rid of the mRNA soon after they have finished using the instructions.
Myth: COVID-19
vaccines were developed using fetal tissue.
Fact: Current mRNA
COVID-19 vaccines do not require the use of fetal cell cultures in the
production process.
Myth: COVID-10
vaccines cause infertility or miscarriage.
Fact: No, COVID-19
vaccines have not been linked to infertility or miscarriage.
A sophisticated disinformation campaign has
been circulating online, claiming that antibodies to the spike protein of
COVID-19 produced from these vaccines will bind to placental proteins and
prevent pregnancy.
This disinformation is thought to originate
from internet postings by a former scientist known to hold anti-vaccine views.
These postings are not scientifically
plausible, as COVID-19 infection has not been linked to infertility.
Also, no other viral infection or
vaccination-inducing immunity by similar mechanisms has been shown to cause
infertility.
Antibodies to the spike protein have not
been linked to infertility after COVID-19 infection. There is no scientific
reason to believe this will change after vaccination for COVID-19.
While there are no formal studies, the best
evidence comes from women who got sick with COVID-19 while pregnant.
While data clearly indicate pregnant women
are at higher risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19 infection, there is no
evidence of increased miscarriage rates.
During natural infection, the immune system
generates the same antibodies to the spike protein that COVID-19 vaccines
would.
Thus, if COVID-19 affected fertility, there
already would be an increase in miscarriage rates in women infected with
COVID-19. This has not happened.
Myth: I am allergic
to eggs so I shouldn't get the COVID-19 vaccine
Fact: Neither the
Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine nor the Moderna vaccine contain egg.
Myth: COVID-19
vaccines must be stored at extremely low temperatures because of preservatives
in the vaccines.
Fact: Pfizer/BioNTech
and Moderna have reported that their vaccines contain no preservatives.
Different vaccines have different storage
requirements.
For instance, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
must be stored at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 70 degrees Celsius), while
Moderna has said that its vaccine needs to be stored at minus 4 degrees
Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsius).
Both of these vaccines use messenger RNA,
or mRNA, to teach your cells how to make a protein that will trigger an immune
response to COVID-19.
However, messenger RNA is fragile and can
break down easily.
Storing messenger RNA vaccines, like these
COVID-19 vaccines, in an ultracold environment keeps them stable and safe.
You should not worry about these
temperatures. Vaccines are thawed before injection.
We encourage you to share this story with
others.
For the safety of our patients, staff and
visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown
without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a non-patient
care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.
Your
needs always come first. Mayo Clinic Health System means quality health care
close to home. We have a number of options to contact us, or request an
appointment by selecting a location.
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