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CLEVELAND, Ohio – The reality of the three coronavirus vaccines approved for use in the United States is very different from some of the stories proliferating online.
Clinical trials have shown vaccines made by Pfizer / BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson to be safe and effective, but a series of false claims have surfaced on social media and other internet forums. Health care workers and government leaders have worked to debunk the misinformation that is often peddled by anti-vaccination campaigners.
However, the false claims threaten to derail the current mass vaccination effort.
Survey data released earlier this year indicated that nearly four in ten people in the United States would not sign up for an appointment for a vaccine when they are eligible. This could hamper the effort to control the pandemic, as experts have suggested that at least 70% of the population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.
Here is the truth to counter some of the most common bogus claims found online.
Fact # 1: The Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are not “dummy vaccines”.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were created using new technology, but clinical trials have shown the technology to be safe and effective.
Traditionally, vaccines like the influenza vaccine have been made with weakened and inactivated forms of a virus. But the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines do not contain a live virus.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these two vaccines are made with messenger RNA, which teaches the body to make a harmless part of the spike protein found on the coronavirus. This induces an immune response that protects against the virus that causes COVID-19.
Clinical trials have shown that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are about 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 infections.
Fact # 2: Vaccines can’t give you COVID-19.
None of the three vaccines approved for use in the United States can cause coronavirus infection. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines made with mRNA do not contain a living form of the coronavirus, so the virus is never introduced into your body.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was developed in a more traditional way, but it also cannot cause infection.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine adds the gene for a coronavirus spike protein to an adenovirus, which are common viruses that cause cold or flu symptoms, according to the New York Times. The modified adenovirus cannot replicate inside cells or cause infection.
Fact # 3: Vaccines have not been linked to any long-term health problems.
The vaccines have been linked to short-term side effects like fever, fatigue, and muscle pain, but there is no evidence linking them to long-term health problems.
The vaccines are new, so experts have no long-term data on their side effects. Other types of vaccines usually cause side effects within two months. Examples throughout history include the oral polio vaccine, the yellow fever vaccine, and the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
In fact, one of the reasons to get vaccinated is to avoid the long-term health complications of a COVID-19 infection. Coronavirus ‘long haul’ have reported lingering symptoms that could linger for months, ranging from fatigue or coughing to depression and insomnia.
Other studies have also shown that COVID-19 can cause long-term damage to vital organs like the heart, lungs and kidneys. The National Kidney Foundation has found that most coronavirus patients who have developed acute kidney injury continue to have poor kidney function after discharge.
Fact # 4: There is no evidence that vaccines cause infertility.
The CDC, the World Health Organization and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine have all said that women who are planning to become pregnant can receive a vaccine against the coronavirus. There is no evidence to suggest that fertility problems are a side effect of a vaccine.
“Based on current knowledge, experts believe that COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to pose a risk to a person trying to become pregnant in the short or long term,” the CDC guidance says.
Millions of people have already received Moderna and Pfizer injections, and as of mid-January, according to the most recent data available, no loss of fertility had been detected.
As part of their vaccine study, Johnson & Johnson injected their vaccine into rabbits before mating and during pregnancy. No vaccine-related adverse effects on fertility or fetal development were found, the drug company said.
Moderna’s animal studies have shown no impact on female reproduction or fetal development either, according to a backgrounder the company submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Fact # 5: Vaccines do not alter your DNA.
The false claim that vaccines could alter your DNA has been debunked by medical experts, but continues to circulate online. Experts believe that the anti-vaccination movement can spread misinformation to sow mistrust.
Different coronavirus vaccines cannot alter someone’s DNA. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, addressed the issue of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines by noting that messenger RNA is different from DNA and cannot combine with or change DNA.
The weakened and inactivated form of the virus used in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine also cannot alter DNA.
Some treatments alter a person’s DNA, but for positive reasons; for example, in 2017, the FDA approved a new gene therapy intended to correct a defect causing blindness. But neither the coronavirus nor its treatment can alter someone’s DNA.
Fact # 6: Vaccines do not contain microchips.
A conspiracy theory claims that vaccines contain microchips and that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates uses them to monitor people’s movements via 5G. The demystified claim took root on social media; a Yahoo News and YouGov poll found that 44% of Republicans and 19% of Democrats believed it was true.
The conspiracy theory appears to stem from funding by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation of a pilot study for a device that could confer an invisible mark that a smartphone could detect. The idea was to create a cloud-based storage system for medical records and identity documents, according to Snopes.
However, the technology was theoretical and did not allow for the tracking or monitoring of anyone. Gates has not funded any research into a COVID-19 vaccine that could track or monitor someone, according to Snopes.
Answers to your questions about the coronavirus vaccine:
Can you request a coronavirus vaccine if you have concerns about the other?
Should you get the coronavirus vaccine if you’ve had a bad reaction to the flu shot?
Are you contagious if you experience side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine?
Can you mix and match two doses of coronavirus vaccine from different manufacturers?
Can I still get my second dose of coronavirus vaccine if I develop symptoms of COVID-19 after the first?
Should you get the second vaccine if you contract COVID-19 after your first dose of the coronavirus vaccine?
Will your COVID-19 vaccine be less effective if you have to wait longer for the second dose?
If the coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective, how will you know if you are in the remaining 5%?
Why do I have to keep a mask if I have been vaccinated against the coronavirus?
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