The Truth Behind Common COVID-19 Vaccine Misconceptions

One reason: It’s unclear how long you are protected from the disease after an infection. Another: People who had COVID-19 and do not get vaccinated after are more likely to get COVID-19

again, compared with people who recovered, then got the shot, research shows. MYTH 4: THE VACCINES CAUSE VARIANTS. At this point in the pandemic, we’ve become more familiar with variants, 

even subvariants. These different versions of the coronavirus arise when the virus mutates. Contrary to the rumors swirling, the vaccines do not cause variants and, in fact, can help keep

potentially more dangerous ones from popping up. The CDC explains that high vaccination coverage in a population reduces the spread of the virus, giving it fewer opportunities to mutate.

MYTH 5: THE VACCINES USE A LIVE VERSION OF THE CORONAVIRUS. None of the COVID vaccines available in the U.S. use the live virus that causes COVID-19, and they cannot give you the disease or

cause you to test positive. The vaccines use scientific techniques to train the human body to recognize and fight the coronavirus. Though the coronavirus vaccines will not make you sick with

COVID-19, they can cause side effects in some people. Commonly reported side effects include injection-site pain, fatigue, headache, chills, fever and muscle aches. Most of the reactions

are temporary and resolve within a few days, according to the CDC. MYTH 6: THE VACCINES CONTAIN MICROCHIPS OR CAN CAUSE YOU TO BE MAGNETIC. These two rumors circulated on social media, and

neither one is true. “Vaccines are developed to fight against disease and are not administered to track your movement,” the CDC says. The vaccines do not contain any metals or materials that

can produce an electromagnetic field. They are also free from manufactured products such as microelectronics, electrodes, carbon nanotubes or nanowire semiconductors, as well as eggs,

gelatin, latex and preservatives. Find out more about the ingredients in the vaccines here. MYTH 7: THE VACCINES CAN CAUSE FERTILITY PROBLEMS. There is currently no evidence that the

vaccines cause fertility problems in women or men, the CDC says. Vaccination is recommended for people who are breastfeeding, pregnant or plan to get pregnant. Research shows that some women

may observe changes in their menstrual cycle length after a COVID shot. These changes “appear to be small, within the normal range of variation, and temporary,” said Diana Bianchi, M.D.,

director of the National Institutes of Health’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). A number of factors can lead to temporary changes in

periods, including stress, lifestyle, medication and more. The latest research findings “provide additional information for counseling women on what to expect after vaccination,” Bianchi

said.