The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. There may be some side effects after vaccination but those are normal to occur. It typically takes two weeks after getting fully vaccinated for the body to build protection (immunity) against the coronavirus.
Myths And Facts About The COVID-19 vaccines
Is it safe to get the COVID-19 vaccines if you’d like to have a baby one day?
Yes, if you want to become pregnant now or in the future, get a COVID-19 vaccine. There is currently no evidence suggested by experts that COVID-19 vaccination causes any problems with pregnancy including the development of the placenta. Also, there is no kind of evidence that fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine including COVID-19 vaccines. Like all vaccines, researchers are studying COVID-19 vaccines carefully for side effects now and will continue to study for many years.
Will the COVID-19 vaccines alter DNA?
No, COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with the DNA in any way. At present, two types of COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized and recommended for use – messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines and a viral vector vaccine. Both mRNA and viral vector COVID-19 vaccines deliver instructions like genetic material to the cells to start building protection against the virus which causes COVID-19. However, the material never enters the nucleus of the cell where the DNA is kept. By this, it means that the genetic material in the vaccines cannot interact or affect the DNA in any way. All COVID-19 vaccines work with the body’s natural defenses for safely developing immunity to disease.
After getting a COVID-19 vaccine, will you test corona positive?
No, none of the authorized and recommended vaccines lead to test positive on viral tests which are used to see the presence of any current infection, and neither can any of the COVID-19 vaccines currently in clinical trials. If the body starts developing an immune response to vaccination, which is the main goal, one may test positive on some antibody tests. Antibody tests indicate if one had the previous infection and may have some level of protection against the virus. Experts and researchers are currently looking at how COVID-19 vaccination may affect antibody testing results.
Can a COVID-19 vaccine make sick with COVID-19?
No, none of the authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines or those currently in development contain the live virus that causes COVID-19. By this, it means that a COVID-19 vaccine cannot make sick with COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines teach the immune system how to recognise and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Sometimes this process can lead to symptoms such as fever and body ache. These symptoms are absolutely normal and are signs that the body is building protection against the virus which causes COVID-19.
Can the COVID-19 vaccine cause infertility in women?
Misinformation on social media suggests that the vaccine trains the body to attack syncytin-1. This is a protein in the placenta which could lead to infertility in women. The truth is that there’s an amino acid sequence shared between the spike protein and a placental protein. However, experts say it’s too short to trigger an immune response and therefore doesn’t affect fertility.
Does one need to wear a mask after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine?
Masking, handwashing, and physical distancing still remain necessary in public until a sufficient number of people are immune and avoid crowds. Fully vaccinated people can meet with other fully vaccinated people after wearing masks as a necessary precaution.
Conclusion
It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity that is protected against the virus that causes COVID-19 after vaccination. This means that it is possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and still get sick because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection. Get vaccinated and stay safe.
References –
Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC
The COVID-19 Vaccine: Myths vs. Facts (muhealth.org)
