Vaccine Myths

It’s natural to feel some doubt or suspicion about new things, like COVID-19 vaccines. Where there are questions, there are often both real and speculative answers. I’d like to address the reservations we have heard and provide factual information that may help our community members make a good decision about whether or not to be vaccinated. The concerns center around five major questions.

Are COVID-19 vaccines necessary?
Some people mistakenly believe that they don’t need the vaccine. They think that their risk level, their blood type, or the fact that they were already infected and recovered make it so they don’t need the vaccine. Some believe that getting infected is the only way to be protected. Others think that the flu shot protects against COVID-19. According to research, none of these perceived protections is valid.

What we do know about risk and protection is this: even young healthy people can get a severe case of COVID-19. Even when they recover, they sometimes have long-lasting effects. What’s more, when we all get vaccinated, everyone is less likely to become ill.

Do COVID-19 vaccines work?
Some people believe that the vaccinations don’t actually work or that the mutations we’ve heard about make them ineffective. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, we are already seeing the major beneficial effects for the vaccinated populations. Cases among long-term care residents, one of the first vaccinated groups, are down by more than 70 percent. And the most recent data indicates that the vaccines available now provide at least some protection against mutant strains. This has translated into less severe infections and fewer hospitalizations, even where mutants are circulating.

Are COVID-19 vaccines safe?
Scientists developed, tested, and approved the COVID-19 vaccines far more quickly than other vaccines. That makes some people nervous. They erroneously think that some important steps must have been overlooked. While the development of the vaccines was faster than ever before, that’s because the entire scientific community was committed to getting the work done. Other projects were paused. Trials were filled with eager volunteers. Data that may have otherwise waited weeks or months for review was reviewed immediately. That’s what made the process so fast.

The most powerful statement of safety is the data: millions have received the vaccines safely. At the same time, we have lost more than 500,000 people to COVID-19.

What, exactly, is in the vaccines?
Some people are nervous, because they don’t know what is in the vaccines, because they don’t recognize the ingredients, or they don’t know the purpose of each ingredient. Someone with a wild imagination started a rumor that the vaccines contain microchips that track recipients’ movements. This is false. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the vaccine components, what they do, and where else you might find them. Many can be found in your body naturally!

What side effects do the vaccines cause?
There are so many baseless stories about the types of effects COVID-19 vaccines have on the body. People have said that they alter your DNA, cause infertility, lead to autism, actually infect you with COVID-19, and come with symptoms that are worse than the disease. If any of these things were true, it would cause major alarm and vaccinations would stop. In reality, no link between the vaccines and these effects has been found.

Some people do have a day or two of fever, headache, or muscle soreness. These side effects are far less severe than a case of COVID-19 could be. In most cases, they can be managed with a little rest or an over-the-counter pain reliever. They are actually a good indication that your immune system is responding with gusto, which is exactly what we want to happen.

Some mistakenly relate the consequences of a case of COVID-19 to the vaccination. The high fevers associated with the disease of COVID-19 can cause temporary hair loss. The inflammation, blood vessel damage, and mental health effects associated with a case of COVID-19 can cause sexual dysfunction. The vaccine, however, would help prevent these problems, not cause them.

I urge you to rely on trusted news sources and factual information about COVID-19 vaccines. If it is outlandish or cannot be verified through scientific research, it is probably false. Thanks to the millions of people who have been vaccinated. Please join them and get vaccinated as soon as you are eligible. When most people are vaccinated, we will have a lot less illness and death, and we will be able to resume all of the things we have missed out on throughout the last year.

Marie George, MD, FIDSA, is the infectious disease specialist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, VT.