COVID-19 vaccines related myths and facts you need to know

We are in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and during the time that countries like the United States are already slowly joining the new normal, others like India are in an atmosphere of the worst crisis caused by the virus thus far. There are other countries that are midway there, such as Mexico, where over 3 million people have already been inoculated.

The International Immunization Week with vaccination days against COVID-19 around the world have already kicked off, however perpetual hesitancies are disseminated via internet about the safety of vaccines and their side effects.

In view of this, Dr. H. Dirk Sostman, president of the Academic Institute at Houston Methodist Hospital, cleared up a number of myths about COVID vaccines.

1) Myth: Getting the vaccine will cause you to get Bell's palsy

Fact: “Out of the first 35,000 individuals to get the vaccine in the US, five developed Bell's palsy. But this is the rate of Bell's palsy that you would expect to witness in the general population. So it just reflects the fact that this vaccine was tested on numerous people. Medical studies put on display that a small number of the population will always develop Bell's palsy, and this has nothing to do with the vaccine. "

2) Myth: Being vaccinated can alter my DNA

Fact: “That is completely untrue. The vaccine contains mRNA, which is a messenger that codes for many proteins, but is never incorporated into the DNA of cells. Furthermore, the life of a messenger RNA as contained in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is only a few hours inside the body. "

3) Myth: pregnant or breastfeeding women should not get vaccinated

Fact: “Pregnant or breastfeeding women should really consider getting inoculated. We dont have real data from clinical trials in pregnant women, but the recommendation of specialists is that pregnant women, who are thinking about becoming pregnant or who are breastfeeding should seriously consider getting vaccinated, ”concluded Dr. Sostman. "This is because vaccines are generally safe in the time of pregnancy as pregnancy is a risk factor for severe COVID-19, which can also have an adverse effect on the fetus."

4) Myth: Getting the vaccine can give me the COVID-19 virus

Fact: “Some vaccinated people experience mild and temporary side effects, which are also normal and expected (eg, mild fever, body aches, and chills). There is a fear that the COVID-19 vaccine could infect with the virus itself, which is absolutely false. None of the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna) contain viruses.

Viral vectors aren’t even used in AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, but these are benign viruses that are not at all linked to COVID-19 and do not lead to disease in humans. In short, it is not possible to become infected with COVID-19 with currently approved vaccines, ”stressed Dr. H. Dirk Sostman.

Also Read: COVID-19: With 25,986 new infections, Delhi's active cases near one lakh