The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed a storm of infection — and a storm of misinformation. With everyone scrambling to figure out how to handle the stress of an unexpected event that has disrupted so many aspects of our lives, some faulty information gets passed on too.
Kimberly Bolling, MD, a caring internist in Bowie, Maryland, wants you, your family, and our community to be protected from COVID-19. Following are a few of the myths that surround COVID-19 vaccines, and why those myths shouldn’t stop you from getting your shot.
Although Dr. Bolling doesn’t administer COVID-19 vaccines herself, you can find a vaccination center near you with this location tool. You can also book your appointment online here.
Fact: The vaccines don’t contain microchips. The vaccines for COVID-19 teach your immune system how to identify and fight against the virus. None of the vaccines contain live virus or tracking devices.
Learn more about how viral vector COVID-19 vaccines (e.g., Janssen/Johnson & Johnson and the AstraZeneca) work and how mRNA vaccines (e.g., Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech) work.
Fact: The COVID-19 vaccines don’t affect fertility in women or men. They don’t interfere with your uterus’s ability to create a healthy lining to nourish a fetus. You can safely get a COVID-19 vaccine if you want to become pregnant.
Fact: A COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t contain live virus and doesn’t affect your COVID-19 test results. You only test positive for COVID-19 if you’ve been exposed to the actual virus.
The vaccines teach your immune system how to protect you against COVID-19 by making antibodies that recognize and fight against structures in the virus. Antibodies are like your immune system’s warriors; they attack pathogens, including viruses.
Several weeks after you’ve received your final vaccine, your body should produce antibodies that can fight COVID-19. If you take a test for COVID-19 antibodies, it should be positive, and that’s a good thing.
A positive antibody test means your body is ready and able to fight the infection, should you ever be exposed to the novel coronavirus. A positive antibody test is not the same thing as a positive COVID-19 test.
Fact: COVID-19 vaccines don’t contain ingredients that can create an electromagnetic field at the injection site or anywhere else in your body. No COVID-19 vaccines contain any kind of metals. You can read more about ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccinations that are authorized for use in the United States.
Fact: COVID-19 vaccines don’t alter, or even reach, the nucleus of your cells, which is where your DNA information is stored. The vaccines deliver information to your cells that help your immune system learn to create antibodies against COVID-19. The information doesn’t go inside your cells or change your DNA in any way.
Fact: COVID-19 vaccines do not contain any live viruses and can’t give you COVID-19. The vaccines contain proteins or other minute structural components of the virus that your immune system uses to create antibodies against them.
You may feel unwell for a day or two after you get a vaccine. That simply means your immune system is hard at work, learning to recognize and battle the structures associated with the novel coronavirus. The symptoms are not a sign that you have COVID-19.
It’s normal to feel confused and overwhelmed during this unusual moment in our history. Getting the right information and learning more about vaccines can help you feel more comfortable when getting the vaccine you need to keep yourself and others safe.
You can locate a vaccination center near you with this online tool. You can even book your appointment online here. You can also check out our site for more information about the COVID-19 vaccines.
If you need to see Dr. Bolling, call our Bowie, Maryland, office today at 301-352-0090. You can also request an appointment online or send a message to Dr. Bolling and the team here on our website.
