VACCINE MYTHS AND TRUTHS

By Dr. Mercedes Giles

he argument between pro-vaxxers and anti-vaxxers is almost as old as time. The COVID vaccine has caused an even deeper divide amongst these two groups, filled with misinformation and hesitation. Most vaccine myths are rooted in rumors and anecdotal information, while the facts are supported by real data, and multiple randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trials. Nonetheless, the argument continues. So with that said, let’s get into dispelling some of the vaccine myths that have been most pervasive over the last two years.

Myth #1: “Vaccines can make you sick” The Truth: When your immune system encounters a vaccine, it attempts to get rid of this uninvited guest by mounting an inflammatory response. A cascade of white blood cells including B cells, T cells, and macrophages come to the rescue. In order to fight off this foreign particle, these white blood cells trigger a host of downstream reactions that may cause temporary reactions such as mild temperature elevation, chills, and fatigue. During the response, your immune system is actually creating antibodies to the vaccine that will allow you to fight off the real thing if you ever encounter it. This “feeling sick” is how you know your immune system is competent.

Myth #2: “Vaccines contain toxic ingredients” The Truth: Vaccines contain naturally occurring ingredients found in the environment and in your body. These ingredients help to stabilize the vaccine and preserve it for future use. While some of the ingredients may be toxic in large quantities or different forms, they are not toxic in the minute volume and form found in vaccines.

Myth #3: “Natural immunity is healthier & more effective than vaccine-induced immunity”

The Truth: To get “natural immunity” you may have to be exposed to a deadly disease. Vaccine-induced immunity is actually safer and more effective. For example, if you’re over the age of 30, you may have had chickenpox as a child. You were granted natural immunity through the most painful, itchy, and scarring week of your life! However, kids nowadays are getting inoculated with “chickenpox” in the form of the Varicella vaccine. They miss out on that very awful week. But they are given two doses to create longer lasting immunity than those of us who suffered naturally.

Myth #4: “Vaccines can cause autism” The Truth: This myth was a foolish correlation and the doctor who supported this notion is no longer practicing medicine. Furthermore, the Autism spectrum is a complex set of disorders related to early childhood brain development, genetics, and environmental factors. Trying to pin the blame on vaccines is very shortsighted.

Myth #5: “Vaccines are used to microchip people” The Truth: Unfortunately there are actually people who believe this as fact. This is nonsense. If the government wants to track you, it doesn’t need to microchip you. In order to do this, the government would have to go through the expensive and extensive trouble to do so. There is no need to do that when people already willingly purchase devices that have chips and GPS in them. The government has never needed such sophisticated devices to find anyone who has a social security number, bank account, or address.

The argument for or against vaccines will probably not end anytime soon. While vaccines have saved millions of lives and counting, getting vaccinated is a personal choice. I hope that our discussion will prompt you to look more closely at misinformation in order to make more informed decisions.