COVID-19 has brought with it many changes in the way we live our lives. The arrival of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been a sign of hope for many of us, but others are still more skeptical of the vaccine for a number of reasons. However, research tells us that this vaccine is safe and effective.
I can say this with confidence, as I received my first dose of the Moderna vaccine a couple weeks ago. I experienced mild side effects, and am now waiting impatiently for my second dose. I am willing to tolerate whatever the side effects may be in order to be part of the solution to this “unprecedented” (is anyone not tired of that word yet?) situation.
In the interest of helping to spread accurate information, and to dispel any misinformation that is circulating, here’s a list of some of the arguments I’ve heard for not getting the vaccine, side by side with peer reviewed research and other reliable sources that explain why each of these arguments may not be completely accurate.
1. “They pushed it through so fast! No way it’s safe!”
This article pertains particularly to the Pfizer vaccine (one of the two currently being administered), which was tested in clinical trials of over 40,000 people. The most commonly reported side effects were very minor things like pain at injection site or fatigue. Only a couple people had a more serious reaction, which is likely due to their particular medical history, moreso than just the vaccination itself. Yes, it was developed quickly. But they still had to run it through the usual tests. Typically, in the process of drug development there is a lot of red tape that prevents each step from getting started, and limits the number of trials that can be done any given year. In this case, because of the urgent need, the red tape was all cut, so that we could get these life-saving drugs developed, tested, and distributed ASAP in order to save lives!!
Source: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2034577
2. “It’s not effective and hasn’t been shown to prevent disease.”
ACTUALLY, Pfizer vaccine was found to be 95% effective, which is pretty dang good. Moderna’s vaccine has a comparable 94.5% effectiveness rate.
Source: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2034577
https://search.proquest.com/.../f23612d9e0218b4d0ee6.../1...
3. “The percentage of people who die from COVID is low, so this is all unnecessary.”
The “case fatality rate” (typically seen as a percentage of people diagnosed with a disease who die from it) is actually not a very accurate predictor of who has died from COVID for a variety of reasons. As of today, 393,000 Americans have died from COVID. Over 2 Million people have died worldwide. Think of them as individuals, not statistics. That’s a lot of people. Something must be done.
Source: https://www.thelancet.com/.../PIIS1473-3099(20)30244-9.pdf
4. “I get my flu shot and still got the flu, so vaccines don’t work and I won’t get this one either.”
The effectiveness of flu shots may vary each year based on different strains of the virus. The flu virus mutates so quickly that it is pretty much impossible to nail down the EXACT virus that you may be exposed to when vaccinating. So, no, the influenza vaccine is not a foolproof way to avoid the flu. Conversely, the COVID vaccine has shown an effectiveness of 95%, which is much more promising. The two aren’t even really comparable. (Also, you definitely can NOT get COVID from the COVID vaccine.)
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5795273/
5. “COVID vaccine produced “cytokine storm” in animal trials, so it’s not safe.”
Actually, COVID itself produces cytokine storm (the body starts to attack itself instead of the virus), which is, in fact, a very bad and scary thing, and is one of the reasons why we need to eradicate this disease as quickly as possible. It’s way more likely to happen from COVID than from the vaccine. mRNA vaccines, just like other kinds of vaccines, carry with them inherent risks. Each individual’s reaction to a drug depends a lot on their particular body. Any drug can cause an adverse reaction in certain people. However, the risk of not taking a needed drug outweighs that of taking it!! You are WAY more likely to get an autoimmune response from the virus itself than from the vaccine.
Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/.../10.../fimmu.2020.01446/full
6. You can’t sue drug manufacturers if something bad happens after you get your vaccine.
This is true, but has been presented in the media in a very misleading way. The PREP act, which has been invoked in the face of the COVID pandemic is NOT a new thing, and has also been invoked in the past. Releasing manufacturers from liability helps encourage them to release a product that is very deeply needed. It doesn’t mean that companies aren’t making safe vaccines, or that there’s some kind of conspiracy to hurt American citizens while protecting drug companies. There’s not.
Source: https://www.health.state.mn.us/commu.../ep/legal/prepact.pdf
7. This vaccine is unethical due to its link to abortion, and I am unable to receive this vaccine due to my religious beliefs.
I do think that it’s important to consider the ethical ramifications of any emerging medical treatment. The US Council of Catholic Bishops has issued a statement urging Catholics to receive the vaccine, and noting that the connection to abortion is very remote, whereas the obligation (in charity) to protect one another is very urgent and important. In point of fact, the direct development of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines (the only vaccines currently in use) did not involve the line of cells derived from the aborted fetal tissue (which, to clarify, is NOT part of the vaccine at all), but some testing WAS done using this line, as is (unfortunately) common to other vaccines and drugs. The AstraZeneca vaccine is also permissible if the other options are not available. Many things in our society indirectly support a number of injustices, and it is practically impossible to avoid them all. We should NOT be complacent about these injustices, but also cannot allow ourselves to use very remote connections to injustice in order to justify neglecting to take important life-saving actions.
Source: https://www.usccb.org/moral-considerations-covid-vaccines
And here’s an article by a priest, explaining this concept a bit more thoroughly: https://www.patheos.com/.../12-things-less-remote.../...
8. I’m young and healthy. Why do I have to get the vaccine? I’ll probably be fine if I get COVID.
The more people who get vaccinated, the more quickly we can reach herd immunity, which will continue to protect not only those who receive the vaccine, but also those who are unable to get vaccinated for medical reasons. To get to that percentage, people young and old both need to get vaccinated. Also, many young people with no known medical conditions have experienced severe cases of COVID-19.
An interesting historical precedent for how vaccinating the young may protect older people is the case of Rubella, which is known to cause birth defects and miscarriages. Children were among the first to get vaccinated, to avoid carrying the illness to pregnant mothers (for whom the disease could be devastating), even though Rubella among children is less severe than it is for pregnant mothers and their preborn babies. A sense of solidarity and care for one another is CRUCIAL to public health in times like these!
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/rubella/vaccination.html
9. I already had COVID, so I’m immune and don’t need the vaccine.
Actually, that’s not necessarily true. While we do know that there may be some level of immunity while antibodies are still in your system, reinfection HAS been documented, and immunity after an initial infection may not last as long as you think it does. It is still recommended for people who have had the virus to receive the vaccination when it becomes available for them!
Source: https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3340.long
10. I heard that the side effects are bad!
I’m not going to lie. This is possible. Drug companies and medical providers are trying to be as up-front about this as possible, in order to manage expectations so that people will follow through on not only the first, but also the second shot! It is normal to feel a little off the day or two after receiving any vaccine, as your body is mounting an immune response. The body’s response to this vaccine has been described as a little bit worse than the flu vaccine, about on par with the shingles vaccine. I assure you, however, that actual COVID feels wayyyyy worse, and lasts for much longer than a day or two. If you are worried about how you will feel after a vaccine, you DEFINITELY don’t want the virus itself!! When you get the shot, make plans to be out of work for the next day if you can, to be proactive and prepare as best as you can! Take Tylenol or Advil if you need to, and know that it will be over soon, and will help protect you from getting a much worse illness!
Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/.../what-expect-when.../617428/
(Specific information about side effects for each company’s vaccine is also included in the articles under questions 1 and 2.)
11. I can’t get the vaccine because I’m pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or breastfeeding.
Actually, that’s not necessarily 100% true. There is currently no reason to believe that mRNA vaccinations are harmful to preborn or breastfeeding infants, or for pregnant mothers, and vaccination is not contraindicated for these women. However, they may want to consult with their doctor to make a final decision.
Initially, there was a lot of scary “information” circulating about this vaccine and its potential effects on pregnant women and their unborn children, but there is no data that actually suggests an additional risk to this group. ON THE OTHER HAND, there IS data to suggest that pregnant women who contract COVID are at an increased risk for birth defects or other pregnancy complications.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/.../pfizer/clinical-considerations.html
12. I’m worried that I might be medically ineligible/contraindicated to receive the vaccine.
Maybe talk to your doctor about this one instead of going to the internet.
BUT as of now, the only true contraindication listed for the Pfizer vaccine is a history of severe/anaphylactic reactions to other vaccines. If you have had a minor allergic reaction to vaccines in the past, this is not considered a contraindication. While I am summarizing information from the CDC, I am not a doctor, and this does not constitute medical advice, so please see an actual doctor if you are worried about whether the vaccine might have an actual medical contraindication for you!
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/.../pfizer/clinical-considerations.html
13. I’m scared of shots!
I’m not going to minimize this. Getting stuck with a needle can be scary for some people. But it is still important that you are able to tolerate a needle stick every once in a while in order to get the medical treatment you need! Here’s the thing: the more you do the scary thing, the less scary it gets! Exposure therapy is well supported in psychological research and literature. So take a deep breath, close your eyes, use a distraction technique if you need to, but definitely still get the vaccine!
Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/.../abs/pii/S0005789405803855
14. I heard it causes infertility!
This has been debunked. People making these claims are using bad science. The concern was that the spike protein in the vaccine shared some material with placental cells. But this is not a concern, because they are completely different proteins! Additionally, whenever a new medication comes out, they haven’t had time to research long-term side effects, but this does not mean that there will be any! There is no scientific reason to believe that these vaccines will affect fertility, and the “scientist” who made that claim hasn’t worked for Pfizer since 2011, so there is no way he could know what he says he does.
Source: https://www.nebraskamed.com/.../you-asked-we-answered-can...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/3884328001
15. I just don’t want to be first!
Good news: odds are you won’t have to! Unless you’re a healthcare professional or live in a long-term care facility, since these groups are prioritized for vaccination. If you don’t belong to one of these groups, hundreds of thousands of people will receive the vaccine before your turn comes around, and there will be a lot more data about side effects, outcomes, etc. (although a large number of people HAVE already been vaccinated and followed for side effects throughout the testing process and new serious side effects are not expected to emerge.)
Source: https://www.hhs.gov/.../covid-19.../distribution/index.html
If you want to see where you might be in the vaccination line, this is a nice little tool. I was 4th in line, and got vaccinated a couple weeks ago. I was very happy to be among the first, since research shows that the vaccine is safe, and I was eager to be part of the solution to stomp out this nasty pandemic once and for all!
https://www.nytimes.com/.../covid-19-vaccine-timeline.html
16. But the government is trying to microchip us!
No. Just no. I think this argument came from confusion regarding the possibility of tracking vaccines themselves (on the containers, to make sure they’re getting where they’re supposed to, aren’t expired, etc.) but nothing is contained in the injectable vaccine that could possibly track you or gather personal information. This argument is a scare tactic, and has no basis in reality.
Source: https://www.google.com/.../no-there-are-no-microchips-in...
https://www.reuters.com/.../uk-factcheck-vaccine...
You can also see, at the beginning of this video, that actual microchip needles are much bigger and very different from those that are used for vaccines. It is quite literally impossible for one of these RFID chips to fit in the needle of a COVID vaccine. https://youtu.be/43XzI6__abE
I hope that this has been informative, and that the scientific research gathered in this article helps to ease any worries you may have regarding the virus.
Stay safe and healthy!
