Vaccine Education: Common Concerns | Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

VACCINE EDUCATION

Common Concerns

Not sure whether you should get the COVID vaccine? Are you concerned that the vaccines were developed too quickly and you want to wait to get your shot? It's ok to be concerned about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. To help you make your decision, we have read through the scientific literature and have addressed all the FAQs below.

I’m worried that vaccines will impact my fertility.

Research has found no effect of the vaccine on male or female fertility.
123,000+ pregnant people have been vaccinated.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that out of 35,691 pregnant people, 30,887 received the vaccine while pregnant and 4,804 became pregnant after vaccination. Additionally, 827 vaccine participants gave birth successfully and the rate of pregnancy complications was the same as pre-COVID averages.
Where did the rumors start from? A vaccine skeptic incorrectly claimed similarity between the spike protein of COVID and the syncytin-1 protein in the placenta. However, the level of genetic overlap is miniscule, like the chance of misdialing between phone numbers that only have a single digit in common.
Researchers are interested in learning whether an altered episode of menstruation is a possible response to vaccination; many things, including a flu, cold, stress or exercise can temporarily change menstruation but do not harm fertility.
COVID-19 is dangerous for pregnant people and the pregnancy itself, so it is important for those who are pregnant or considering pregnancy to be well protected.

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I’m scared that I will have an allergic reaction to the vaccine.

Cases of anaphylaxis (acute allergic reactions) are rare: approximately 2.5-11 cases per million doses, depending on the vaccine. They occur in the first fifteen minutes and vaccine clinics are equipped to deal with them, which is why you are instructed to wait at the vaccination site after you get your shot.
The majority of recipients experience no side effects.
If there are any effects, they include soreness at the injection site, headache, and fever and/or chills lasting no more than two days.
The chances of getting blood clots from the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is 1 in 1,000,000. For comparison, the chances of getting a blood clot is 1 in 5 in hospitalized COVID patients, 1 in 100 in smokers, and 1 in 3000 for oral contraceptives.

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Vaccine rumors

I have heard that . . .

It contains microchips and makes people magnetic
People start shedding the coronavirus
It gives you COVID It changes your DNA
It affects the menstrual cycle of women around you
More people die from the vaccine than the virus
If you are breastfeeding, the vaccine will change your milk
Natural immunity is safer than getting the vaccine
If I’ve gotten COVID, I don’t need to get the vaccine

A new vaccine can be scary! People like to talk about frightening things they have heard to see what others think.

There is no scientific evidence that the vaccine contains microchips or makes people magnetic.
The rumors about COVID vaccines are not true, and you can help others by reassuring them.
Only the antibodies generated after vaccination can be passed through breast milk, not the virus. Studies suggest it could be good protection that would last as long as the antibody-laden milk is consumed.
The antibodies generated from natural immunity do not last as long as the antibodies from the vaccine. Everyone needs to get vaccinated, even if they’ve gotten COVID.
The vaccines cannot enter the nucleus, where your DNA is.
Since the vaccines do not contain the COVID virus, vaccinated people cannot shed the virus or get COVID.

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I am not comfortable with how little the vaccines have been tested.

Researchers have been studying mRNA vaccines (like Moderna and Pfizer) and adenovirus vaccines (like Johnson & Johnson) for decades, including vaccines for flu and rabies.
The vaccines have been held to the same rigorous safety standards as all the other types of vaccines in the U.S.
The large number of clinical trial volunteers and the fast spread of COVID at the height of the pandemic allowed much faster data collection compared to other vaccines.
306 million doses have been administered in the U.S. and 142 million people are fully vaccinated (43.1%) with only rare and treatable side effects reported.

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I’m worried that the vaccine will make me sick or give me COVID.

The vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the COVID-19 virus.
None of the vaccines in the U.S. contain the COVID-19 virus, so the vaccine cannot give you the disease.
The majority of recipients experience no side effects.
If there are any effects, they include soreness at the injection site, headache, and fever and/or chills lasting no more than two days.

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I’m concerned about the vaccine ingredients.

The ingredients of the Moderna vaccine are also found in table sugar, potato chips, pickled vegetables, grilled foods, pharmaceuticals, meat, and food coloring.
The ingredients of the Pfizer vaccine are also found in vegetables, table salt, puddings, chocolate, cheese, red meat, and food additives.
The ingredients of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine are also found in citrus fruits, ice cream, alcoholic beverages, table salt, food additives, and corn syrup.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html?s_cid=10492:what%20is%20in%20the%20pfizer%20vaccine:sem.ga:p:RG:GM:gen:PTN:FY21#Appendix-C

I don’t want to get a vaccine if it’s not safe for someone like me.

From the data taken from 86,967,420 fully vaccinated people:
11,664,320 are Hispanic/Latino
821,034 are American Indian/Alaska Native
5,258,910 are Asian
7,537,560 are Black
241,498 are Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander
6,918,513 identified as “Other, Non-Hispanic"

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The updated data can be found at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-demographic

I already have health concerns and I’m worried the vaccine will make me sick.

349 million doses have been administered in the U.S. and 166 million people are fully vaccinated (50.5% of the population) (data taken on August 6, 2021).
So far, underlying medical conditions/medications do not seem to be affected by the vaccine.
Those who take medications that suppress the immune system need to speak to their healthcare providers about the effectiveness of getting the vaccine.

What happens if my kids or I don’t get vaccinated?

At least 70-85% of the U.S. population needs to be immunized to reach herd immunity (fully block the spread of COVID-19).
Not everyone can get a vaccine, for example chemotherapy patients and newborns, and they depend on herd immunity.
The more people who choose not to take the vaccine, the more COVID-19 can continue to spread and change, making lockdowns and the necessity for booster shots more likely.
Although children often experience milder disease than adults, they can still experience chronic symptoms, become severely ill, or die. Our children rely on us for protection from disease.

I don’t want to bother with the shot if I’m just going to need a booster later anyway.

A booster is not currently required.
However, given the number of variants, people may need annual vaccinations, like for the seasonal flu, or boosters every few years to renew immunity, like for tetanus.
The faster people get vaccinated now, the less likely it is that variants will make a booster necessary soon.
To design a booster shot, we need to know how long the vaccine antibodies last and how much COVID-19 mutates; researchers are currently studying this and developing boosters to be prepared.