Myths About the COVID-19 Vaccine

With Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna both shipping doses of their COVID-19 vaccines, people around the country are expressing hope, excitement, and some trepidation regarding inoculation. These vaccines represent the next step in our fight against COVID-19, and along with prevention methods could be the biggest advancement we’ve seen in holding back or eradicating the disease.

As might be expected, however, some have shared concerns about the vaccines. These concerns have unfortunately been amplified by news outlets and social media to such an extent that they have become blatant misinformation and myth. Concern has turned into worry, and worry has become fear. This disinformation and fear could promote vaccine hesitancy or, worse,

We know that many of our partners in the healthcare industry are fielding questions from patients who are looking for clear answers and expertise regarding the vaccines. Here are some answers that you can give confidently to empower their decision making and discourage any hesitation.

Question: Were the Vaccine Development Standards Lowered Due to Rapid Authorization?

The emergence of COVID-19 as a global threat has placed an immense strain on healthcare-related organizations, including hospitals, supply chain organizations, and pharmaceutical companies to move quickly in addressing the threat

With the accelerated pace of vaccine development, however, many have questioned how rigorously the FDA and these companies adhered to government safety regulations. In fact, a recent poll shows that 20% would not take the vaccine due to this accelerated timeline. The necessity of rapid development comes with a price, some say, and as the newest vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are distributed around the United States, many people are curious as to how they successfully made, tested, and produced the vaccine in such a short period of time.

We suggest explaining the development process as a re-prioritization rather than a rapid development. The truth is that because of the radical shift in resources and priorities, these companies were able to develop these vaccines more rapidly without compromising safety or quality during the process.

Normally, pharmaceutical companies develop, test, and manufacture a range of drugs that address dozens or even hundreds of necessary medical treatments. With that kind of development landscape, resources typically go to projects that will help people with the greatest need or show the most promise of long-term success for the company. However, with COVID-19, these priorities have changed in two ways:

1. Most, if not all, of the major pharmaceutical companies’ efforts have been switched to working on COVID-19 treatments.
    
2. Massive sums of capital have been funneled by the government and private donors to these companies to support their research.

With an influx of resources and complete reprioritization to developing a COVID-19 vaccine, pharmaceutical companies were able to develop those vaccines in record time without sacrificing rigor in their process or compliance with FDA regulations.

Now, it is true the FDA approved these vaccines for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), which bypasses a longer FDA approval process. The vaccines still must work through an accelerated approval program which clears them for widespread use, which means that scientific, manufacturing, and ethical requirements were met during the development of the drug.

Question: Will the COVID-19 Vaccines Cause False Positives

This question is predicated on a misunderstanding of testing types and procedures. In short, getting a vaccine will not cause a false positive on COVID-19 PCR or antigen tests.

What does that mean for people receiving tests after the vaccine? Patients should understand two things about COVID-19 tests:

1. If you are receiving an antigen or PCR test, the vaccine will not show a false positive outside of the range of error for the test itself. An antigen test looks for the presence of living virus cells by identifying the presence of specific proteins from the virus itself. Likewise, the PCR test looks for genetic signatures from living virus cells. Since vaccines use dead or inactive virus cells, they will not cause a false positive here.
    
2. If you receive an antibody (also known as a “serology”) test, you’re essentially receiving a test that identifies the presence of an immune response from the virus. Since the vaccine stimulates the production of a COVID-19 immune response to fight the disease, this test could return a positive.

Patients who have already received that vaccine, and who subsequently wish to test for the presence of the virus, should get an antigen or PCR test. They should also realize that those tests can still give a false positive regardless of whether that patient has been vaccinated.

Question: Will there Will Be a COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate?

There are currently no mandates for vaccination, and none seem forthcoming. Most states have not yet mandated masks and businesses closures. While there is nothing to disqualify state or federal governments from requiring the vaccine at some point soon, mandates are unlikely under the current circumstances.

However, private organizations working in critical care areas (healthcare, assisted living, etc.) can require employees working with high-risk populations to receive the vaccine as a condition of their employment. Some argue that this could be counterproductive, but there are a few precedents regarding these mandates in healthcare situations, such as hospitals during the H1N1 pandemic and others.

Question: Will the COVID-19 Vaccine Will Alter Your DNA?

This is absolutely not true, and this should be made clear to patients. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines, which differ from DNA vaccines in critical ways:

1. mRNA is only a single-strand component of DNA and not a full DNA sample.
2. mRNA is naturally made in the body as a blueprint for the creation of proteins critical for life.

The mRNA doesn’t alter genetic material, but it does help the immune system create proteins to fight viruses like COVID-19. The mRNA doesn’t enter the nucleus of any cells, it doesn’t alter any genetic materials, and it does not manipulate bodily functions to do anything they normally would not do.

Question: Do COVID-19 Vaccines Contains a Chip, Chemical, or Other Substance Used in Government Tracking?

Unfortunately, this myth is strong within certain communities and will lead to decreased participation in the vaccination efforts.

There are no chips, substances, chemicals, or devices associated with the vaccine used to track patients. Some healthcare providers are using data collected during and after vaccination (with the patient’s consent and in their paperwork) to help trace the efficacy of the vaccine across populations, and this is the standard procedure (not to mention critical for getting control of our current situation).

Healthcare Providers Can Lead the Fight Against Misinformation

This list of common questions hopefully provides clarity to individuals who may have received bad information from others not invested in their health and wellbeing. More importantly, we see this document as a potential alert for healthcare providers, distributors, and manufacturers who share responsibility for informing public opinion during this challenging time.

While our business offerings are in the healthcare cold chain, we see our place in this industry and this country as one of leadership and expertise, and we will push forward not only in providing leading cold-chain technology but offering a clear vision of the vaccine landscape and its implications in our communities. This includes supporting our partners as we work to bring knowledge and health to patients across the U.S.