There is a lot of vaccine misinformation on The Internet.
We are living in very uncertain times right now. While it is a great thing to have developed a vaccine to Covid-19, mistrust in the media is at an all-time high. From the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, misinformation has spread like wildfire. We haven’t had any strong leadership from the top-down, so normal people aren’t really sure how to act, or what to believe.
This has caused a lot of issues from a social perspective, but it is very important to remember how deadly this disease really is. Pfizer and Moderna have both developed vaccines approved for use by the FDA, but many people no longer have trust in our institutions.
As a medical professional, I am going to get the Pfizer vaccine today, so I wanted to share a few common myths about it.
My goal is to ease the minds of some of people who feel disillusioned or confused about the safety of the vaccine. Vaccines only work if the majority of the population becomes vaccinated, so if you have questions or concerns about taking the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, please read on.
The vaccine was developed too quickly to be safe. While it is true that vaccines normally take longer to create, we are dealing with a worldwide pandemic, thus resources were allocated properly to ensure the vaccine was developed quickly. Covid-19 is also similar to other coronaviruses, so previous research helped with the process. Lastly, the clinical trials themselves were not rushed, so the vaccine was pronounced safe according to normal protocols.
The vaccine will have long-term effects. Side effects of vaccines (like allergic reactions) typically happen within minutes to hours of taking the vaccine. Any potential side effects can be ruled out relatively quickly after vaccination.
You can get Covid-19 from the vaccine. The vaccine doesn’t contain the virus, so you literally can’t contract COVID-19 from being vaccinated. The vaccine responds to the protein that infects cells with the coronavirus, not the actual virus itself.
If you’ve had Covid-19, you don’t need the vaccine. According to the CDC, the vaccine offers better protection than having actually had the virus for several reasons. Faulty testing and false diagnoses being two of the main reasons.
Once I’m vaccinated, I no longer have to wear a mask. The vaccines are only 95% effective, and you have no way of knowing who else is vaccinated or infected. Regardless of whether or not you take the vaccine, you should still wear a mask and follow recommended safety protocols until the danger has passed.
In this age of mistrust, I can understand why people are concerned about potential vaccines. I ask that you remember the polio vaccine, which pretty much saved the world.
Over the past few years, science has been attacked time and time again, but the truth is that science is what saves us from disease.
Personal opinions aside, science stands on a foundation of proven truth.