COVID-19 VACCINES: MYTHS AND RUMORS VS FACTS

AL-Rawi M. B.*, Hassan M. M. and El-Olemy A. T.

ABSTRACT

The pandemic of COVID-19 had caused millions of deaths and left hundred millions of patients. Actually the disease will be controlled only through vaccination. With the prevalence of wrong information, convincing people to get vaccinated is very difficult. So, accurate vaccine information is critical and essential. The most common myths and rumors were related to COVID-19 vaccine safety and utilization. They include: The vaccines were developed rapidly without research, It is not safe and not necessary for children, They cause many variants of the virus, many side effects, complications and deaths, The mRNA vaccine is not considered a vaccine, They contain microchips, fetal cells and around 99% graphene oxide, They cause the body to be magnetic, They shed or release their components, They will alter DNA, It is unsafe for women planning to have a baby one day, They cause COVID-19 infection, abortion and miscarriage, They cause test positive for COVID-19 on a viral test, They should be postponed for certain period of time after getting a flu vaccine or another vaccine, Vaccines not needed for patients recovered from COVID-19, Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the best one, Fully vaccinated do not need to avoid close contact with others or wear a mask, The second dose of vaccine is not necessarily the same as first dose and medical conditions are contraindication for vaccination. While social media posts and some news outlets may make it harder to know what is fact or fiction, the science is clear, approved COVID-19 vaccines safe and effective.

Keywords: COVID-19, Vaccine, Safety, Myths, Rumors, misinformation.