Dr Swati Jha, Director, Community Health & Research at Aga Khan Health Services India, addresses some misconceptions and myths that people are raising about vaccinations.
MYTH : The vaccines aren’t safe because they were developed very quickly
FACT : –While vaccines developed previously have taken years and even decades to be approved for use, the COVID-19 vaccines needed to be developed and approved in a fast-track manner, because of how far and wide the disease has spread. However, just because it has been fast-tracked, does not mean it has been rushed. All vaccines approved for use till now have gone through the clinical trials phase, and have proven safe and effective. In the 1980s, it took scientists so long to do this, but thanks to scientific advances we’ve made over the years, we can find viruses so quickly. COVID-19 is similar to other coronaviruses we’ve seen in humans, like MERS and SARS, so there was previous research that could be used to speed up the process.
The COVID-19 vaccines esp. Covishield or Covaxin were created with a method that has been in development for years, so the companies could start the vaccine development process early in the pandemic.
China isolated and shared genetic information about COVID-19 promptly, so scientists could start working on vaccines. The vaccine developers didn’t skip any testing steps, but conducted some of the steps on an overlapping schedule to gather data faster. Vaccine projects had plenty of resources, as governments invested in research and/or paid for vaccines in advance.
Some types of COVID-19 vaccines were created using messenger RNA (mRNA), which allows a faster approach than the traditional way that vaccines are made.
Social media helped companies find and engage study volunteers, and many were willing to help with COVID-19 vaccine research. Because COVID-19 is so contagious and widespread, it did not take long to see if the vaccine worked for the study volunteers who were vaccinated. Companies began making vaccines early in the process — even before FDA/ local govt authorization — so some supplies were ready when authorization occurred.
MYTH : The vaccines can lead to long-term effects.
FACT : With vaccines, if there is going to be a complication or side effect (like an allergic reaction, for example) it will occur within minutes to hours of receiving the vaccine. There are no known/ predicted long term effects. Even with vaccines i.e. measles which was thought to have long term effects i.e. autism – the connection has been debunked for long.
MYTH : I may get the disease COVID-19 from the vaccines.
FACT : “There’s no live virus in the vaccines, so they can’t infect you.” Basically, the vaccines make our bodies produce one single protein from the virus—the protein that infects our cells. Vaccines prime your immune system to recognize and fight off a disease, but they don’t actually cause an infection. You might have some fatigue, muscle aches, a headache or a fever after you get the vaccine. That’s normal with any vaccine – it’s a sign that your immune system is responding.
MYTH : I’ve already had COVID-19, so I don’t need to get vaccinated.
FACT : There is preliminary evidence that the vaccine offers better protection than having had the virus. We don’t yet know how long natural immunity to COVID-19 lasts. Right now, it seems that getting COVID-19 more than once is not common, but there are still many questions that remain unanswered. Experts say that, even if you’ve had COVID-19, it would still be appropriate for you to get the vaccine to make sure you’re protected. For many diseases, immunity acquired naturally often lasts longer than immunity from a vaccine. But that means you have to suffer, and survive, the disease.
Plus, with COVID-19, the natural immune response after a mild case appears to be short lived, and much shorter than what is expected from the vaccine.
MYTH : People with underlying conditions shouldn’t get vaccinated
FACT : People who have underlying conditions like diabetes and heart disease, for example are at a high risk for getting complications from COVID-19, so it’s even more reason why they should get vaccinated.
MYTH : People with suppressed immune systems shouldn’t get vaccinated.
FACT : People with suppressed immune systems (like from cancer treatments or autoimmune diseases) should definitely get vaccinated. The vaccine will not hurt you since it doesn’t contain a live virus. Those with suppressed immune systems will still get protection from COVID-19, just not as much protection as those with healthy immune systems
MYTH : The COVID-19 vaccines will alter your DNA
FACT : People get scared that mRNA will cause the virus to go into our DNA and cause mutation, but it does not even go into the center part of the cell where we have our DNA. There is nothing in the vaccine that can make it go and work with our DNA.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use mRNA to instruct our cells to make a piece of the coronavirus’s hallmark spike protein in order to spark an immune system response. Once the mRNA does that, our cells break it down and get rid of it. “Messenger RNA is something that’s made from DNA, but it’s not designed to integrate with our DNA, and it doesn’t permanently change our genome and who we are in any way. The Covaxin and Covishield contain dead inactivated virus.
MYTH : If you get vaccinated, it could make you infertile
FACT : There is absolutely no data from the clinical trials or any theoretical reason as to why the vaccines could cause infertility.
MYTH : Once I get vaccinated, I don’t have to wear masks or practice social distancing
FACT : Immunity builds up only 2 weeks after Vaccination with both doses, also the vaccines have been tested to prevent severe illness and death. It is still not clear whether they protect against asymptomatic infection and spread. Even if you get the vaccine, you should continue to wear a mask around others, wash your hands frequently and practice physical distancing.
MYTH : Vaccines are not needed since the disease can be eradicated with proper hygiene measures.
FACT : A lot of people think that vaccines are not really needed and the disease can be eradicated when proper precautions are taken. However, the current pandemic and previous outbreaks of infectious diseases indicate that no amount of vigilance can make this possible. Not every person follows precautionary measures well, which is apparent from the anti-mask rumors and protests in the past few months.
MYTH : Vaccines don’t work since I have heard people get the disease even after being vaccinated.
FACT : It is true that some people do get the disease even after being vaccinated against it. But vaccine reduces the risk from contracting the infection – that means, the severity of the disease is reduced, the chances of hospitalization and need for ventilator is reduced; and the chances of mortality (death) is reduced.
The benefits of getting vaccinated far exceed those of not vaccinating at all.
MYTH : These Vaccines are not safe to take, they have several side effects.
FACT : This belief comes from the fact that vaccines contain aluminum compounds and formaldehyde - both of which could lead to toxicity. However, experts advise that these compounds are present in such minute amounts that they are unlikely to cause any side effects. One gets exposed to much higher amounts of the same compounds from everyday products including paints, cosmetics, and automobile exhaust. Aluminum is even present in food and drinking water.
MYTH : If a lot of people are getting vaccinated, I am safe anyway. I don’t need it too
FACT : Vaccines help generate herd immunity in a population only when a certain number of people in the population get immunized. Failing to achieve this number would mean that herd immunity will either not be generated (if it is a new disease like COVID-19) or will slowly disappear (if it an old disease like measles).
As a responsible citizen, one must get vaccinated to prevent spread of the disease and growth of the virus.
MYTH : I have heard that the Vaccine trials were halted means there are issues which scientists are not talking about
FACT : In September, vaccine trials of AstraZeneca and Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine were temporarily halted, after a participant suffered neurological problems, to investigate the incident. It does not mean that the vaccine is unsafe – on the contrary, it means that adequate measures are being undertaken to ensure vaccine safety. In this case, investigations found that the problem was unrelated and that the vaccine was safe.
MYTH : A vaccine will affect your natural immunity adversely
FACT : Many people believe that while a vaccine may help prevent illness of one type, it can have an adverse impact on the overall immunity of the body. However, that is just a myth. A vaccine only helps the body produce antibodies against a particular pathogen, helping the body prevent the pathogen from entering and causing disease in the future.
MYTH : Vaccines are only for vulnerable groups like doctors/healthcare workers and very senior citizens
FACT : While governments and health agencies are prioritizing some vulnerable groups when it comes to vaccine distribution, it does not mean that they are only for such groups. Vaccines need to be administered to everyone, if they want to prevent COVID-19, and stay safe from the viral infection. It is because the vaccine demand is high and supply low, a phased approach is being undertaken, with the vulnerable groups on priority.
MYTH : We don’t know what’s in these vaccines.
FACT : Both COVAXIN and Covishield have published the ingredient lists for their vaccines.
In Covaxin, in addition to whole-virion-inactivated corona virus, almunium hydroxide gel, imidazoquinolinone, pentoethanol and phosphate buffer is present. COVISHIELD™ Vaccine includes the following ingredients: adenovirus shell, L-Histidine, L-Histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, Magnesium chloride hexahydrate, Polysorbate 80, Ethanol, Sucrose, Sodium chloride, Disodium edetate dihydrate (EDTA), Water for injection. The additional common ingredients help maintain the pH and stability of the vaccine.
Despite theories circulated on social media, they do not contain microchips or any form of tracking device.
MYTH : Now that we have vaccines, the pandemic will be over very soon.
FACT : In order to achieve what’s called herd immunity – the point at which the disease is no longer likely to spread – about 70% of the population will need to have been completely vaccinated. But the companies that make these vaccines can only make so many at a time. So the vaccines will be distributed in phases, with priority given to people with greatest need. They may not be widely available to the general public until several months into 2021.
MYTH : I cannot take a vaccine because I am an alcoholic/ smoker/ tobacco user and I cannot abstain
FACT : You are more at risk to the virus if you are an addict so you should take the vaccine promptly if you are eligible. While it is advisable to not smoke/ drink alcohol/eat tobacco for a healthy life, failure of being abstain is not a contraindication to getting a vaccine.
