Separating fact from fiction
Myth #1: If you’ve had COVID-19 already, you don’t need to get vaccinated
The verdict is still out when it comes to how long you are protected from COVID-19 after a previous infection —what’s referred to as natural immunity. In fact, “early evidence suggests natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last very long,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains. Because of this, “people may be advised to get a COVID-19 vaccine even if they have been sick with COVID-19 before,” the agency states.
Myth #2: Once you receive the coronavirus vaccine, you’re immune for life
It’s unknown how long immunity from a coronavirus vaccine will last and whether it will need to be administered more than once, or even on a regular basis, like the flu shot.
For now, “we should think about this as maybe in the same zone as a tetanus shot, where you might need a booster” every few years, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins, M.D., said.
Myth #3: You can ditch your mask after you get vaccinated
The vaccine is one tool that can help slow the spread of the coronavirus, but others will be needed to bring the pandemic to an end — these include mask-wearing, social distancing, frequent handwashing, and testing.
One reason: It will likely take several months to get the majority who want a coronavirus vaccine vaccinated, health officials predict. And until a substantial portion of the population develops resistance to COVID-19 and so-called herd immunity is reached, the virus will continue to spread and sicken people.
Myth #4: The vaccines use a live version of the coronavirus
None of the vaccines in late-stage development in the U.S. use the live virus that causes COVID-19, the CDC confirms. Instead, the leading vaccine candidates use scientific techniques to train the human body to recognize and fight the coronavirus by either introducing a harmless piece of the virus to the body or by giving the body instructions to make its own coronavirus-like protein. The body then recognizes these proteins shouldn’t be there and produces antibodies to fight them off. Then, the immune system establishes memory to protect against future infections.
Myth #5: mRNA vaccines can alter your DNA
The mRNA from the vaccine “never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA is kept. This means the mRNA does not affect or interact with our DNA in any way,” the CDC states. What’s more, after the cells use the instructions the mRNA delivers — in the case of the COVID-19 vaccines, the instructions are to build the coronavirus’ signature spike protein so the body can develop an immune response should it ever encounter the real deal down the road — they destroy the mRNA.
Myth #6: You don’t need both doses of the two-dose vaccines
All but one of the vaccines in late-stage development require two doses that are given a few weeks apart. And because health experts are not sure whether one dose will be effective enough to prevent COVID-19 or a severe case of the illness, skipping the second shot is not a good idea. As the CDC explains: The first shot starts building protection; the second shot boosts that protection and “is needed to get the most protection the vaccine has to offer.”
Myth #7: If you got the flu shot this year, you don’t need a coronavirus vaccine
While the flu and COVID-19 share a similar list of symptoms, they are two different illnesses, caused by two different viruses. So when it comes to the vaccines, “it’s not one or the other,” Anthony Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), explained in a recent AARP tele-town hall event.
