Get your questions answered about the COVID-19 vaccine.
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. This led to an emergency response, but that does not mean companies were not safe or didn’t do enough testing. We now have experience in vaccinating tens of millions of people worldwide and the approved vaccines have been shown to be remarkably safe and effective.
MYTH: THERE ARE SEVERE SIDE EFFECTS FROM COVID-19 VACCINES.
FACT: On rare occasions, some people have developed allergic reactions shortly after they have been vaccinated. Rare cases of blood clots following vaccination have been reported for the Janssen (J&J) vaccine. Otherwise, the known vaccine reactions are short-term and mild or moderate. Some people may develop headache, chills, fatigue or muscle pain or fever lasting for a day or two. Keep in mind that these side effects often mean that your body is responding to the vaccine.
MYTH: I ALREADY HAD COVID-19 AND AND FEEL FINE, SO I DON’T NEED TO GET A COVID-19 VACCINE.
FACT: While there is some immunity from COVID-19 after infection, getting the vaccine strengthens your immune response. The vaccine also protects against some of the variants.
MYTH: THE VACCINE IS NOT EFFECTIVE.
FACT: The COVID-19 vaccines are 70% to 95% effective in preventing COVlD-19 infection and are virtually 100% effective at preventing death or hospitalization due to COVID-19, in both adolescents and adults. Researchers are still testing how long immunity will last aer vaccination and studies are showing that the vaccine can even help with lingering symptoms of a prior COVID-19 infection.
MYTH: CHILDREN AND YOUNGER ADULTS DON’T NEED THE COVID-19 VACCINE BECAUSE THEY DON’T GET SERIOUSLY ILL
FACT: Adolescents have the highest rates of infection, but lower rates of severe illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19. While fewer children than adults have had severe COVID-19 complications, this is not a harmless virus. Thousands of children have been hospitalized and hundreds have died. Also, getting the vaccine protects the spread of COVID-19 to others who may NOT respond to the vaccine due to immunocompromise or other underlying health conditions.
MYTH: THE VACCINE lS GO!NG TO CHANGE MY DNA.
FACT: It is biologically impossible for the mRNA vaccine to alter a person’s DNA. Even though this is the first mRNA vaccine that has been approved by the FDA. it’s NOT because of safety concerns. Many mRNA vaccines have been tested over the past few decades for conditions like cancer, SARS and allergies.
MYTH: THE VACCINE IS GOING TO CAUSE INFERTILITY.
FACT: Individuals who got pregnant after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine had no complications.
MYTH: NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT LONG-TERM SIDE EFFECTS.
FACT: Long-term side effects are highly unlikely, based on our knowledge of mRNA and the human body and our expanding experience with these vaccines.
• Vaccine ingredients leave the body quickly – mRNA is fragile and degrades within 72 hours of vaccination
• The mRNA vaccine is not made from the actual virus
• In the history of vaccines. most serious side effects typically happened within the first two months of receiving the vaccine
MYTH: VACCINATED PEOPLE ARE “SHEDDING” VlRUS FROM THE VACCINE TO UNVACClNATED PEOPLE. AS A RESULT, UNVACCINATED PEOPLE IN CLOSE PROXlMITY TO THOSE VACCINATED ARE EXPERIENCING CHANGES IN THEIR MENSTRUAL PERIOD OR HAVING MISCARRIAGES.
FACT: It is biologically impossible for a vaccine to shed virus to someone who hasn’t been vaccinated. Evidence shows that the COVID-19 vaccine does not cause changes in periods or miscarriages.