Debunking Vaccine Myths Ellaheh Gohari| Features Editor pl236951@ahschool.com
Features
I
n response to the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic, scientists across the globe began developing a vaccine. Two teams emerged victorious, and Pfizer and Moderna vaccines began distributing across America late last year, with other vaccines waiting to be approved. However, the speedy development of these vaccines, coupled with pre-existing conspiracy theories about vaccination, caused many people to distrust them. According to the L.A. Times, one in five frontline workers in a local hospital refused the vaccine, a skepticism that holds true in hospitals across the country. With the healthcare workers themselves wary about the COVID-19 vaccine, it is no wonder that conspiracy theories run rampant on social media, spreading misinformation and lies that have sparked distrust in the healthcare system. Here are three common myths about vaccination that you may see on the internet and the proof to debunk them.
Myth #1 Because the vaccine was created so quickly, it doesn’t work
W
hile the coronavirus vaccine was developed in less than a year, that does not mean it is less effective. “The speed was related completely to the breathtaking scientific advances that [have] been made over the last 10 or more years, where you can get the genetic sequence of the virus, then take that sequence and insert the appropriate gene into these very new and unbelievably efficient vaccine platforms,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor for the Biden administration, said in a video. Already having experience with coronaviruses in the past, scientists were able to take that knowledge and use it to develop a vaccine that was effective against the specific COVID-19 strain. Before a vaccine is allowed to circulate, it must complete vaccine trials, which is exactly what occurred. After the vaccines were shown to be helpful in trials, it was allowed to be distributed. Thus, speed does not play a role in the vaccine’s effectiveness, since it passed the necessary trials regardless of how fast it was developed.
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI The hospital’s vaccination site is held in an outdoor tent. After prioritizing their frontline worker employees, the hospital is now vaccinating The vaccine has severe side effects that outweigh the benefits people over 65 who have more than two comorbidities, such as diabetes, cancer, accines, as with any medical operation, have the potential to trigger serious side heart conditions, obesity or kidney disease. effects or even death. However, as of January, there are no reported deaths directly (Photo/Shirin Shafazand) related to COVID-19 vaccination. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the most common side effects are slight pain or swelling on the vaccinated arm, as well as headache and tiredness. These mild side effects most often occur after the second dose and dissipate within a few days. The CDC also reported that less than 1% of the thus far 4 million people who received Moderna’s vaccine developed any adverse, or severe, side effects, with those who did already having a history of anaphylaxis. Because none of the vaccines approved in the USA contain a live virus, it is impossible to develop COVID-19 from the vaccine. Since an adverse reaction is rare and nobody has died from the vaccine, the risks are minimal.
Myth #2
V
Myth #3 Since everyone else is getting the vaccine, I don’t have to
I (Design/Eva Pierre-Antoine) Issue 3
n order to stop the spread of coronavirus once and for all, herd immunity is required. Herd immunity is when enough people in a population are vaccinated that it does not spread from person to person anymore since there is no viable host. According to the CDC, 70% of the U.S. population, or more than 200 million people, must get the vaccine to achieve herd immunity. At present time, there have not been any trials done for minors, so scientists do not know how our immune systems will react to the vaccine. However, trials are starting for minors ages 12-18, meaning that soon we will likely have the answer. If we want to leave COVID-19 for the history books, everyone who can get vaccinated should.
Features 11
