Myth: COVID-19 has a 99% survival rate, so it is safer to skip the vaccine.
Fact: Surviving and thriving are very different. COVID-19 can linger for months and cause long-term damage to major organs, including the lungs, heart and brain. Even young, healthy individuals who had mild symptoms suffered from organ damage.
The vaccine is much safer than COVID-19. If you get the vaccine, you risk short-term side effects. If you don’t get it, you risk long-term health complications and organ damage from COVID-19.
Even if you had and recovered from COVID-19, you should still receive the vaccine. Researchers don’t know how long natural immunity lasts.
Myth: The vaccine causes severe side effects.
Fact: Patients are reporting mild symptoms after the second dose, such as fever, body aches and headaches. The side effects are inconvenient, but they’re not dangerous. More than anything, it’s a sign the vaccine is working.
The purpose of a vaccine is to train your immune system to fight a virus without exposing you to the risks of the disease. Sometimes after being trained, your immune system has a more robust response when it sees the virus again.
Myth: The vaccine could give me COVID-19.
Fact: The COVID-19 vaccine does not contain the live virus or carry disease. Therefore, you cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine.
Once vaccinated, your risk of getting a severe COVID-19 infection is significantly reduced. However, you will still need to take precautions (wear a mask, social distance) to reduce transmission to others who aren’t vaccinated.
Myth: The vaccine is unsafe because it was rushed.
Fact: Despite an unprecedented accelerated pace, the clinical trials were extremely large and well designed. Researchers were able to speed up the process because a lot of money and people were put into it, and they did many events in parallel that would normally be done in a series (mostly to save money). They did not, however, compromise on the vaccine and efficacy end points.
Myth: The vaccine contains harmful ingredients.
Fact: The vaccine’s list of ingredients is transparent and does not include any harmful ingredients. There is no aluminum, mercury, food allergens, such as eggs, preservatives or latex in the vaccine.
Learn more about Akron Children’s COVID-19 response, resources and vaccination program for families.
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