EXCLUSIVE |
Dispelling The Common COVID-19 Vaccine Myths.
Ever since the availability of COVID-19 Vaccines, there have been many falsehoods and misinformation circulating. With so many mix-ups of information out there pertaining to the vaccine it is difficult to decide whether to get the vaccine and it is important to separate myths from facts. Tulip spoke to Dr K Subba Reddy, MD, PDCC, IDCCM, IFCCM, EDIC, Sr. Consultant and Head, Critical Care, Apollo Health City, ISCCM Hyderabad Chairman, to debunk some of the most common coronavirus vaccine myths and conspiracy theories.
Myth #1: I have already had COVID once, why vaccinate now?
Once a patient recovers from COVID-19, the immune response in the body is ready to combat further infection for some time, and this is known as natural immunity. However, research shows that the chances of re-infection increases with time, usually 6-8 months and with a few particular variants, the chances of re-infection is even higher. Therefore, vaccination remains the best way to create antibodies against COVID-19 without any serious risk of severe illness. In case the COVID-19 treatment did involve monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, it is recommended that you wait for 90 days after recovering from the infection. To allow the antibodies to exit your system, which is crucial because the monoclonal antibodies will prevent your body from developing a robust immune response from the vaccine.
Myth #2: The vaccine has been developed so quickly, they must be unsafe. Safety is the first and foremost goal for a vaccine. In my opinion, safety is not compromised by the speed of vaccine development and emergency use authorization. The reason that vaccines may be approved so quickly is due to the large clinical trials to assess the vaccine efficacy and safety at the same time. Typically, large-scale manufacturing begins only when the vaccine has been tested in clinical trials. Another factor that accelerated vaccine development was the swift and efficient recruitment of patients for clinical trials.
Myth #3: Once I take the vaccine, I am free to discard all precautions against COVID-19 While these vaccines are showing to be highly effective at protecting people against serious illness from COVID-19, we are still learning whether it is possible for a vaccinated person to spread the virus, even without symptoms. Hence, it is important to continue practicing all safety precautions against COVID-19.
Myth#4: Vaccines will alter your DNA
No, COVID-19 vaccines do not alter your DNA. COVID-19 vaccine uses a fragment of messenger RNA (mRNA) to instruct your body to make an immune response against COVID-19. TULIP - JUNE, 2021 67
