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As we prepare to welcome the new year, the world has also started rolling out COVID-19 vaccines.
It is amazing what human ingenuity is capable of when it comes to the urgent need to protect ourselves from a deadly virus like COVID-19.
But despite all the money and research that goes into developing the COVID-19 vaccine, I’m pretty sure you have some skeptics in your life who are still worried about it.
With all the misinformation available on the internet, I don’t blame them. But to silence them forever, here are some COVID-19 vaccine myths debunked.
1. The vaccine developed very quickly. Very fast. Will it even work?
Done: Despite the speed at which COVID-19 vaccines were developed in 2020, their efficacy has been proven in clinical trials.
People may wonder why it took us less than a year to get the COVID-19 vaccine, when we still have nothing to fight HIV and cancer. Making this comparison is actually unfair and also quite misleading.
As Reuters points out, finding a vaccine against HIV / AIDS is an incredibly challenging endeavor.
The virus “mutates rapidly and has unique ways of evading the immune system,” says the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). This means that HIV / AIDS is constantly evolving. And it evolves rapidly, rendering vaccine research useless for the most part. We just can’t keep up with mutations.
As for cancer, let’s get one thing very clear: Unlike HIV / AIDS and COVID-19, cancer is not usually caused by viruses or bacteria. In fact, there is no single cause of cancer. It can be genetic, environmental or simply a characteristic of the individual.
However, there are vaccines that can help reduce cancer risk, such as the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer and the hepatitis B vaccine for liver cancer.
2. The COVID-19 vaccine has some serious side effects.
Done: For the most part, the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines are not life-threatening or causing any discomfort. However, for those with a history of allergies, such as anaphylaxis, experts say they shouldn’t get vaccinated at all.
This has already become very clear.
But of course you may feel a bit fatigued after getting the vaccine. Additionally, you may also experience muscle aches, headaches, and fever. However, this is the case for ALL vaccines in the first place. It is nothing new and it is definitely not something to worry about.
In fact, it is a sign that the vaccine is working as expected because your immune system is responding.
3. The COVID-19 vaccine will give people COVID-19.
Done: COVID-19 vaccines do not contain the live SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
There are several vaccines that are in an advanced stage of development or are already being released to the public, and none of them contain SARS-CoV-2. The goal of the vaccine is to “teach” your immune system to recognize and fight the viruses that cause COVID-19.
As mentioned in the previous point, this can result in a fever, but do not confuse it with COVID-19. It’s just your immune system at work. It is your body that increases immunity to the virus, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, developing immunity takes several weeks, so if you come in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 during that time, you can still become infected.
But if it offers more peace of mind, taking the vaccine itself will not test positive for COVID-19. If there are positive results, you will likely get one on an antibody test. This is good!
4. Once people are vaccinated, they no longer need to wear masks when they are away from home.
Done: This can only be a general mindset once enough people are immune to the virus. As it currently stands, you must still observe all COVID-19 safety measures, even after you have received the COVID-19 vaccine.
This includes wearing face masks, social distancing, and not gathering in large groups. And, of course, personal hygiene remains as important as ever.
Public health guidelines will be updated as more and more people become immune to the virus. So all you can do now is be patient, it’s worth the wait.
5. The COVID-19 vaccine will effectively end the pandemic.
Done: No fight is over so easily. While COVID-19 vaccines will definitely help minimize the patient burden in hospitals and reduce overall COVID-19-related deaths, they surely won’t end the pandemic that has gripped the world for most of 2020.
There are a few things to keep in mind. The first of these is the fact that not everyone will be vaccinated at the same time. Also, not everyone will have the same access to the vaccine.
It is already well established in most countries that front-line people and the elderly will be the first to receive it. But the vaccine recipients that follow will not all get vaccinated together. It is a slow process.
And most importantly, the vaccine is not 100 percent effective. This means that you will still have to comply with existing COVID-19 safety measures until enough people are vaccinated.
What other myths about the COVID-19 vaccine have you encountered?
Read more COVID-19 stories:
Singapore plans to vaccinate healthcare workers first in late 2020
Indonesia approves breathalyzer that can detect COVID-19 in two minutes
New COVID-19 Mutations Detected in Malaysia and Singapore
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Cover image from New Straits Times and AFP.
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