Myths of the coronavirus vaccine detonated by experts

Skepticism about vaccines and an absolute feeling of anti-vaccination has increased in recent months, with more members of the public questioning not only the vaccines’ effectiveness, but also their development practices, safety standards and goals.

The rapid development of coronavirus vaccines last year, an urgent task given the devastation of lives and livelihoods caused by the global pandemic, has made them a prime target for hesitation and myths.

But misinformation and misinformation that cast doubt on safety and effectiveness can endanger lives.

The World Health Organization said vaccine hesitation was among the top 10 threats to global health in 2019. Vaccination, he said, “prevents 2 to 3 million deaths per year and an additional 1.5 million could be avoided if global coverage vaccinations to improve “.

When it comes to Covid-19 vaccines, experts and public health officials say it is crucial to combat the misinformation (false or inaccurate information) and the most nefarious misinformation (ie false information designed to deceive people) that is being spread about. the jabs being deployed. Here are some of the main myths circulating about coronavirus vaccines:

Fact that: The coronavirus vaccines that are now being implanted have been subjected to strict and rigorous clinical tests involving thousands of human participants after initial animal testing.

Vaccine manufacturers have insisted that no corners have been cut and test results have proven that vaccines are safe and effective. Before being authorized for use, vaccine test data – such as that made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and the University of Oxford-AstraZeneca – underwent rigorous scrutiny by regulators, including the US Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency and the British Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency.

In advanced-stage clinical tests, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were considered 95% and 94.1% effective, respectively, in preventing severe Covid-19 infection. The vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca showed an average effectiveness of 70%.

When the UK became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in early December, Dr. June Raine, chief executive of the UK’s MHRA, said that no corners were cut in her approval, saying that the experts worked “around the clock, carefully, methodically poring over tables, analyzes and graphs on each piece of data.”

Scientists and doctors at the MHRA conducted a “continuous review” of the data as it became available during clinical trials, thus allowing to speed up the evaluation of the vaccine and authorize it. This was critical, said the MHRA, given the public health emergency.

Fact that: The coronavirus vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna contain messenger RNA (or mRNA) that instructs our cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response. This creates immunity against the virus that causes Covid-19.

The mRNA (that is, the instructions) of a Covid-19 vaccine never enters the cell’s nucleus, which is where our DNA is kept, says the United States’ Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This means that mRNA cannot affect or interact with our DNA in any way. Instead, Covid-19 mRNA vaccines work with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop immunity against disease.” In addition, the immune cells break down and get rid of the mRNA right after they finish following the instructions. Learn more about CDC here.

Fact that: Some women are concerned that the coronavirus vaccine could harm their fertility and there has been a lot of incorrect information online about it. In fact, on Tuesday, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in the United Kingdom and the Royal College of Midwives issued a statement on Covid-19 vaccines, fertility and pregnancy.

In it, Dr. Edward Morris, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said: “We want to reassure women that there is no evidence to suggest that Covid-19 vaccines will affect fertility. Claims of any effect of Covid-19 vaccination fertility are speculative and are not supported by any data. “

He continued: “There is no biologically plausible mechanism by which current vaccines can have any impact on women’s fertility. No evidence has been presented that women who have been vaccinated have fertility problems.”

Fact: The truth is that there is limited data on the safety of Covid-19 vaccines for pregnant women, says the CDC on its website.

From available data from animal studies, “no safety concerns have been demonstrated in rats that received the Modern COVID-19 vaccine before or during pregnancy; studies of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are ongoing,” said the CDC.

Studies on pregnant women are planned and both vaccine manufacturers are monitoring people in clinical trials who became pregnant, he added.

In the UK, where the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are being implemented, the government states that: “vaccines have not yet been tested in pregnancy, so until more information is available, those who are pregnant should not receive this vaccine routinely . “

However, the government notes that evidence from non-clinical studies of vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and the University of Oxford-AstraZeneca has been reviewed by WHO and regulators worldwide and “have not raised concerns” about safety in pregnancy.

The UK Joint Vaccination and Immunization Committee, which advises the government on its vaccination strategy, “recognized that the potential benefits of vaccination are particularly important for some pregnant women”, including those at high risk of getting the infection or those with clinical picture conditions that place them at high risk of suffering serious complications caused by Covid-19. In such cases, the government recommends that women discuss possible vaccination with their doctor.

Fact that: Even if you are immunized against Covid-19, it is possible that you will still pass the virus on to others. We still do not know how vaccination against Covid-19 affects progressive transmission and until we do – and although many people remain unvaccinated – people are being urged to follow the guidelines for social distance, wear masks and wash their hands to prevent possible transmission of the virus.

Fact that: You cannot get Covid-19 with Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna coronavirus vaccines because they do not contain live viruses. Meanwhile, the Vaccine Knowledge Project at the University of Oxford explains that the active ingredient in the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine “is made from a modified adenovirus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees. This virus has been modified to not cause infection. It is used to provide the genetic code for the coronavirus spike protein. “