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JANUARY 7, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
MythBusters of the Covid Vaccine By Karen Schaeffer, MD, & Ellie Carmody Stone, MD, MPH
With facts and rumors swirling about the new vaccines on the market combatting Covid-19, we present to you six common misconceptions along with the true facts behind the vaccines.
Myth #1: I can get Covid from the vaccine. The Facts: The coronavirus vaccines cannot give you Covid-19. There are several different types of vaccines in use for other viruses. Live vaccines, like those for polio or varicella (chicken pox), are weakened versions of the virus itself. In very rare circumstances, these can be reactivated and cause or spread the disease. The Covid vaccines are very different. These vaccines do not contain a live virus. Current vaccines in distribution work by delivering the messenger RNA (mRNA) strand that codes for a piece of the Covid “spike” protein to our body’s cells. Our cells then use this genetic template, or instruction manual, to make the spike protein piece using the body’s own cellular machinery. The protein is displayed on the cell surface, where it is recognized by the immune system, and we begin to generate immunity and make antibodies, similarly to what happens in natural infection with Covid-19. If your body sees this protein again (i.e. if you get exposed to Covid-19 in the future), your antibodies and other branches of your immune system would protect you.
Myth #2: The Covid vaccine has not been tested enough to prove it is safe. The Facts: All vaccines receiving authorization in the United States have been tested in preclinical, phase I, II and III trials to determine safety and efficacy. This sequence upholds the gold standard for testing of new vaccines and medications in the field of medicine. Phase III trials have blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trials, constituting the highest standard of clinical research methods. These trials have each involved over 30,000 participants for each vaccine candidate, conforming to the number necessary to carefully observe adverse event (side effect) patterns and determine efficacy with a confident level of precision. Multiple layers of scientific review have ensured us that research results are valid and trustworthy. While many patients experience side effects for a few days after receiving the vaccine, including fever, fatigue, and arm soreness, these side effects resolve. As
