CLEVELAND, Ohio – The reality about the three coronavirus vaccines approved for use in the US is very different from some stories circulating online.
Clinical trials have shown that the vaccines made by Pfizer / BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are safe and effective, but a series of false allegations have surfaced on social media and other internet forums. Healthcare workers and government leaders have worked to unravel misinformation often spread by anti-vaccination activists.
However, the false claims threaten to derail the current mass vaccination attempt.
Survey data released earlier this year indicated that nearly four in ten people in the US would not sign up for a vaccination appointment. This could hamper the effort to bring the pandemic under control, as experts have suggested that at least 70% of the population should be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.
Here’s the truth to counter some of the most common false claims found online.
Fact no. 1: The vaccines Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna are not ‘fake vaccines’.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been created using new technology, but clinical trials have shown that the technology is safe and effective.
Traditionally, vaccines such as flu shots have been made with attenuated and inactivated forms of a virus. But the vaccines Pfizer and Moderna do not contain live viruses.
Both of these vaccines are made with messenger RNA, which teaches the body to make a harmless part of the ear protein found on the coronavirus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. It triggers an immune response that protects against the virus that causes COVID-19.
Clinical trials have shown that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are approximately 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 infections.
Fact no. 2: The vaccines can not give you COVID-19.
None of the three vaccines approved in the US can cause a coronavirus infection. The 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 has been developed in a more traditional way, but it can also not cause infection.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine attaches the gene of a coronavirus vein protein to an adenovirus, which are common viruses that cause cold or flu-like symptoms, according to The New York Times. The modified adenovirus cannot replicate inside cells or cause infection.
Fact no. 3: Vaccines have not been linked to long-term health problems.
The vaccines have been linked to short-term side effects such as fever, fatigue and muscle aches, but there is no evidence linking them to any 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) vaccination, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
In fact, one of the reasons to be vaccinated is to avoid long-term health complications due to a COVID-19 infection. Coronavirus’ “long haul” has reported persistent symptoms that can last for months, ranging from fatigue or coughing to depression and insomnia.
Other studies have also found that COVID-19 can cause long-term damage to vital organs such as the heart, lungs and kidneys. The National Kidney Foundation found that most coronavirus patients who suffered acute kidney injuries still had low kidney function after being discharged.
Fact no. 4: There is no evidence that the vaccines cause infertility.
The CDC, the World Health Organization and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine have all said that women planning a pregnancy can receive a coronavirus vaccine. There is no evidence to suggest that fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine.
“Based on current knowledge, experts believe that COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to pose a risk to anyone trying to conceive in the short or long term,” says CDC guidance.
Millions of people have already received the Moderna and Pfizer shots, and as of mid-January, the most recent data available, no loss of fertility has been detected.
As part of the vaccine study, Johnson & Johnson injected the vaccine into rabbits before mating and during pregnancy. No pharmaceutical company has found adverse effects on vaccine or fertility or fetal development.
Moderna’s animal studies also showed no effect on female reproduction or fetal development, according to an information document the company submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Fact no. 5: The vaccines do not change your DNA.
The false claim that the vaccines can alter your DNA has been refuted by medical experts, but it continues online. Experts believe the anti-vaccination movement could spread the wrong information to sow distrust.
The different coronavirus vaccines cannot alter anyone’s DNA. Gavi, the vaccine alliance, addressed the issue of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines by noting that messenger RNA is different from DNA, and it cannot combine or change DNA.
The attenuated 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; in 2017, for example, the FDA approved a new gene therapy intended to correct a blindness that causes blindness. But neither the coronavirus nor its treatment can alter anyone’s DNA.
Fact no. 6: The vaccines do not contain microchips.
One conspiracy theory claims that the vaccines contain microchips, and that Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, uses them to monitor people’s movements via 5G. The debunk claim took hold on social media; a poll by Yahoo News and YouGov found that 44% of Republicans and 19% of Democrats believed this to be true.
The conspiracy theory apparently originated from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which funded a pilot study for a device that could give an invisible sign that a smartphone could detect. The idea, according to Snopes, was to create a cloud-based storage system for medical records and ID documents.
However, the technology was theoretical and no one could actually detect or monitor it. According to Snopes, Gates did not fund any research on a COVID-19 vaccine that anyone can detect or monitor.
Answer your coronavirus vaccine questions:
Can you request one coronavirus vaccine if you are concerned about the other?
Should you get the coronavirus vaccine if you have had a bad reaction to the flu shot?
Are you contagious if you have 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 get the first COVID-19 symptoms?
Should you get the second vaccine if you contract COVID-19 after your first dose of coronavirus?
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 do you know if you are in the other 5%?
Why should I wear a mask if I have been vaccinated against coronavirus?