Coronavirus vaccine misinformation permeates social media: Here are the facts to counter six false claims – cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio The reality about the three coronavirus vaccines approved for use in the U.S. is very different than some of the narratives that proliferate online.

Clinical trials have shown the vaccines made by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are safe and effective, but a series of false claims have sprung up on social media and other internet forums. Health care workers and government leaders have worked to debunk misinformation that is often peddled by anti-vaccination activists.

However, the false claims threaten to derail the current mass-vaccination effort.

Survey data released earlier this year indicated nearly four in 10 people in the U.S. wouldnt sign up for a vaccine appointment when theyre eligible. That could hinder the effort the get the pandemic under control, because experts have suggested at least 70% of the population needs to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity.

Here is the truth to counter some of the most common false claims found online.

Fact No. 1: The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are not fake vaccines.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were created using new technology, but clinical trials have shown the technology is safe and effective.

Traditionally, vaccines like the flu shot have been made with weakened and inactivated forms of a virus. But the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines do not contain live virus.

Both of those vaccines are made with messenger RNA, which teaches the body to make a harmless part of the spike protein that is found on the coronavirus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That induces an immune response that protects against the virus that causes COVID-19.

Clinical trials have shown both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are roughly 95% effective at preventing COVID-19 infections.

Fact No. 2: The vaccines cannot give you COVID-19.

None of the three vaccines approved for use in the U.S. can cause a coronavirus infection. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that are made with mRNA do not contain a live form of the coronavirus, so the virus is never introduced into your body.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was developed in a more traditional manner, but it cant cause infection, either.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine adds the gene of a coronavirus spike protein to an adenovirus, which are common viruses that cause cold- or flu-like symptoms, according to The New York Times. The modified adenovirus cannot replicate inside cells or cause infection.

Fact No. 3: Vaccines have not been linked to any long-term health problems.

The vaccines have been linked to short-term side effects like fever, fatigue and muscle aches, but there is no evidence linking them to any long-term health problems.

The vaccines are new, so experts dont have any long-term data on their side effects. Other types of vaccines typically cause side effects within two months. Examples throughout history include the oral polio vaccine, the yellow fever vaccine and the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

In fact, one of the reasons to get vaccinated is to avoid any long-term health complications from a COVID-19 infection. Coronavirus long haulers have reported lingering symptoms that could persist for months, ranging from fatigue or a cough to depression and insomnia.

Other studies have also found that COVID-19 may do long-term damage to vital organs like the heart, lungs and kidneys. The National Kidney Foundation found most coronavirus patients who developed acute kidney injury continue to have low kidney function after theyre discharged.

Fact No. 4: There is no evidence the vaccines cause infertility.

The CDC, the World Health Organization and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine have all said women who are planning a pregnancy can receive a coronavirus vaccine. There is no evidence suggesting that fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine.

Based on current knowledge, experts believe that COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to pose a risk to a person trying to become pregnant in the short or long term, CDC guidance says.

Millions of people have already received the Moderna and Pfizer shots, and as of mid-January, the most recent data available, no loss of fertility had been detected.

As part of its vaccine study, Johnson & Johnson injected its vaccine into rabbits prior to mating and during pregnancy. No vaccine-related adverse effects on fertility or fetal development were found, the pharmaceutical company said.

Modernas animal studies showed no impact on female reproduction or fetal development either, according to a briefing document the company submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Fact No. 5: The vaccines do not alter your DNA.

The false claim that the vaccines could alter your DNA has been debunked by medical experts but continues to circulate online. Experts believe the anti-vaccination movement may be spreading the misinformation to sow distrust.

The various coronavirus vaccines cannot alter someones DNA. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, addressed the issue for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines by noting that messenger RNA is different from DNA, and it cannot combine with or change DNA.

The weakened and inactivated form of the virus used in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine cannot alter DNA, either.

Some treatments do alter a persons DNA, but for positive reasons; for example, in 2017 the FDA approved a novel gene therapy that is intended to correct a defect that causes blindness. But neither the coronavirus nor its treatment can alter someones DNA.

Fact No. 6: The vaccines do not contain microchips.

One conspiracy theory claims the vaccines contain microchips, and that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is using them to monitor peoples movements via 5G. The debunked claim took hold on social media; a Yahoo News and YouGov poll found 44% of Republicans and 19% of Democrats believed it was true.

The conspiracy theory appears to have arisen from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funding a pilot study for a device that could impart an invisible mark that a smartphone could detect. The idea was to create a cloud-based storage system for medical records and ID documents, according to Snopes.

However, the technology was theoretical and could not actually track or monitor anyone. Gates has not funded any research into a COVID-19 vaccine that could track or monitor someone, according to Snopes.

Your coronavirus vaccine questions answered:

Can you request one coronavirus vaccine if you have concerns about the other?

Should you get the coronavirus vaccine if youve had a bad reaction to the flu shot?

Are you contagious if you have side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine?

Can you mix and match two doses of coronavirus vaccine from different manufacturers?

Can I still get my second dose of coronavirus vaccine if I develop COVID-19 symptoms after the first?

Should you get the second vaccine if you contract COVID-19 after your first coronavirus vaccine dose?

Will your COVID-19 vaccine be less effective if you need to wait longer for the second dose?

If the coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective, how will you know if youre in the other 5%?

Why do I need to keep a mask on if Ive been vaccinated for coronavirus?

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Coronavirus vaccine misinformation permeates social media: Here are the facts to counter six false claims - cleveland.com