There following are some of the Covid 19 vaccine myths and misconceptions about Corona virus vaccination in social media and other media. These myths and misconceptions have been debunked to clarify this issue once and for all.
Covid 19 Vaccine Myths : The mRNA Covid vaccine is not a vaccine
Truth: The mRNA Covid vaccine is a vaccine
Traditional vaccines work by introducing a piece of the disease causing virus into the body. This triggers the person’s immune system to make antibodies against the virus and protect the person from future infections.
Covid mRNA vaccines work in a different way because they do not contain pieces of the Corona virus. They work by instructing cells in the body to make spike proteins similar to those found on the Covid 19 virus. These spike proteins then cause the immune system to begin making antibodies against the Covid 19 virus which helps the body fight the virus when it comes in contact with it.
Covid mRNA vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are therefore effective vaccines since they stimulate the immune system to make antibodies that protect the person from future Corona virus infection.
Covid 19 Vaccine Myths : Covid vaccines are not effective because they were developed too fast
Truth: Covid vaccines are effective
The mRNA technology used to develop some Covid 19 vaccines is not new as it is actually more than 10 years old. The vaccine platform technology used on other Covid 19 vaccines has also been extensively studied for use in vaccines for other diseases. This history proves that the technology of the Covid vaccines was not developed too fast.
However, the urgency of the pandemic as well as increased funding enabled pharmaceutical companies to create Covid 19 vaccines relatively quickly. Nevertheless, safety protocols were followed, rigorous clinical trials were done on thousands of participants and these vaccines were reviewed by many independent, expert advisor panels to ascertain their efficacy before they were approved and authorized for use.
Covid 19 Vaccine Myths : Covid 19 vaccines can cause Covid virus variants
Truth: Covid 19 vaccines do not can cause Covid virus variants
Covid 19 vaccines do not create or cause new variants of the Covid 19 virus because new variants emerge from changes within the virus known as mutations. It is important to note that even before the Covid 19 vaccines were developed, there were already several variants of the virus.
Covid 19 vaccines can themselves help prevent new variants from developing since they reduce the spread of the virus. This is because as the virus spreads, it has more chances to mutate. Therefore, high vaccination rates in the population can prevent new variants of the virus from developing by reducing the spread of the virus.
Covid 19 Vaccine Myths: Covid 19 vaccines can make a person sick with Covid
Truth: Covid 19 vaccines do not make a person sick with Covid
Covid 19 vaccines cannot make a person sick with Covid because they do not contain the live SARS-Co-2 virus which is also known as the corona virus that causes Covid 19. The spike protein that the body makes after vaccination also does not make a person sick with Covid.
Covid 19 Vaccine Myths: Covid 19 vaccines can change a person’s DNA
Truth: Covid 19 vaccines cannot change a person’s DNA
Covid 19 vaccines do not change a person’s DNA because they do not enter the cell nucleus which contains the DNA. The mRNA vaccines work from the cell cytoplasm to instruct the cells to make spike proteins without entering the cell nucleus. After they have finished their job, the mRNA is broken down quickly without affecting or altering the DNA in any way. The spike protein is also broken down.
Covid 19 Vaccine Myths: Covid 19 vaccines can affect a woman’s fertility
Truth: Covid 19 vaccines do not affect the fertility of men or women
Covid 19 vaccines trigger the immune system to create antibodies against a spike protein found on the corona virus. They do not cause the immune system to fight against spike proteins that affect normal pregnancy. In fact, during the vaccine tests, female volunteers became pregnant. There is also no evidence to suggest that Covid 19 vaccines affect the fertility of men or women.
Covid 19 Vaccine Myths: All adverse events reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) are caused by Covid 19 Vaccination
Truth: Not all adverse events reported to the VAERS are caused by Covid 19 Vaccination
This is due to the fact that anyone can report to the VAERS even if they are not sure that the adverse effects have been caused by Covid 19 vaccination. In addition, some VAERS reports may contain information that is erroneous and unverifiable. Some information is even misreported for example that of vaccinated persons dying and the death being attributed to the vaccine when it could have been due to other causes.
Vaccine experts however study the reported adverse effects to look for patterns that suggest that the vaccine is responsible for the health problem that it was reported to cause.
Covid 19 Vaccine Myths: Covid 19 vaccines contain microchips and tracking devices
Truth: Covid 19 vaccines do not contain microchips and tracking devices
Covid 19 vaccines do not contain microchips, tracking devices or other electronic components because they have been developed to protect persons from corona virus infection and not to monitor them or store their information in databases. Most Covid 19 vaccines contain mRNA, lipids or fats, salts and stabilizing agents used to make other medications.
Covid 19 Vaccine Myths: Covid 19 vaccines can make a person magnetic
Truth: Covid 19 vaccines do not make a person magnetic
Covid 19 vaccines do not contain metals or other ingredients that produce an electromagnetic field or confer magnetic properties to the injection site, which is usually the arm, or other body parts of the vaccinated person.