Covid-19 Vaccine Myth Busters

If you are still deciding whether the COVID-19 (COVID) vaccine is right for you, here is some accurate vaccine information to help clear up some common myths and rumors you may have come across while gathering information.

Can COVID-19 vaccines cause variants?

COVID vaccines do not create or cause the COVID virus to become a variant. New variants happen because the virus is constantly changing through a natural process. This process is called mutation. Even before the vaccines were developed, there were already several variants of the COVID virus. Plus, moving forward, variants are expected to continue to emerge as the virus continues to change. COVID vaccines can help prevent new variants. With high vaccination coverage, the spread of the virus is reduced so it has fewer opportunities to change into a new variant.

Is the mRNA vaccine considered a vaccine?

mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, are vaccines. They trigger your immune system to respond to fight the COVID virus. Although these vaccines are new, their research and development has been ongoing for decades. These types of vaccines teach your cells to make a “spike protein,” which is found on the COVID virus. Your body recognizes this protein does not belong and works to get rid of it. Your body does this by making antibodies to fight against the virus as if you were infected with the virus. This immune response is what protects you from getting infected if the real virus enters your body.

Do COVID vaccines contain microchips?

COVID vaccines do not contain microchips. Vaccines are not given to track your movement. They are given to fight against COVID infection. Vaccines work by stimulating your immune system to produce antibodies, as if you were exposed to the virus that causes COVID. Once vaccinated, you develop immunity to COVID without getting the disease first.

Can the COVID  vaccine cause you to be magnetic?

A COVID vaccine will not make any part of your body magnetic. COVID vaccines do not contain any ingredients that can produce an electromagnetic field on your arm where you receive the injection. All COVID vaccines do not contain metals.

Do the COVID vaccines shed any of their components?

Vaccine shedding can only occur when the vaccine contains a weakened, live version of the virus. None of the COVID vaccines approved in the U.S. contain the live virus.

Will the vaccine alter my DNA?

COVID vaccines do not change your DNA in any way. Both kinds of vaccines (mRNA and viral vector type vaccines) send instructions from your genes to your cells. These instructions tell your cells how to start building protection against the virus that causes COVID. The material from either type of vaccine does not enter the nucleus of the cell, which is where DNA is kept, so it cannot alter the DNA.

Is it safe for me to get a COVID vaccine if I plan to have a baby one day?

COVID vaccination is recommended for people who are trying to get pregnant now or in the future. There is no evidence that COVID vaccines lead to problems trying to get pregnant, for women or men.

Is natural immunity from COVID infection better than immunity from the COVID vaccine?

Getting a COVID vaccine is safer and more dependable in building COVID immunity than getting sick with COVID first. Having COVID can offer some protection from future illness. But, the amount of protection may vary depending on how mild or severe the illness was and their age. Plus, getting COVID can lead to severe illness.

Does the COVID vaccine affect mammogram results?

Getting the COVID vaccine can cause normal and temporary swelling of the lymph nodes in the underarm. This may cause mammogram results to appear abnormal for a period of time after vaccination. Ask your doctor how long you should wait after vaccination to get your mammogram.

Can the COVID vaccine make me sick with COVID-19?

None of the approved vaccines in the U.S. can make you sick with COVID because they do not contain the live virus that causes COVID. When you get the vaccine, it teaches your immune system to identify and fight the virus. Sometimes, this process can produce symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal and signal that your body is building protection.

Will the vaccine cause me to test positive?

None of the approved vaccines cause you to test positive on the viral tests, which are used to see if you have a current infection. If your body develops an immune response after you receive the vaccine (which is the goal) you may test positive on some antibody tests. Antibody tests will show that you had a previous infection and that you may have some level of protection against the virus.

Will the vaccine provide 100% protection?

COVID vaccines will not protect you 100%. No vaccine does, just like virtually no medical treatment is 100% effective, 100% of the time. The vaccine gives you very significant benefits. It vastly reduces the likelihood of you getting COVID and helps protect you from severe illness or death, even if you do get COVID. However, at this time, CDC recommends everyone ages 12 and older get a booster shot. That’s because studies now show vaccine protection against the virus and the ability to prevent infection likely decrease over time, especially if variants of the virus emerge.