Myths and Facts about COVID-19 and the Vaccines

Does the vaccine alter your DNA?
No. COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way. The three federally approved COIVD-19 vaccines deliver instructions (genetic material) to our cells to start building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19. However, the material never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA is kept.

Does the vaccine cause infertility or miscarriage?
Currently no evidence shows that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems (problems trying to get pregnant) in women or men, according to the CDC. If you get pregnant after receiving your first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine that requires two doses (i.e., Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine), you should get your second shot to get as much protection as possible.

Does the vaccine have dangerous side effects?
Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely unlikely following any vaccination, including COVID-19, according to the CDC. You may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.

Have children had adverse effects to the vaccine?
Like adults, children can have side effects that typically last 1 to 3 days, according to the Mayo Clinic. More adolescents reported these side effects, except for injection site pain, after the second dose of the vaccine. However, some people have no side effects.

Do masks make you sick or cause you to ingest too much carbon dioxide?
The CDC has stated that while CO2 will slowly build up in the mask over time, the level of CO2 likely to build up in the mask is mostly tolerable to people exposed to it. You might get a headache but you most likely would not suffer the symptoms observed at much higher levels of CO2.

Is the vaccine killing people?
Reports of death after COVID-19 vaccination are rare. More than 363 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the United States from Dec.14, 2020, through Aug. 23, 2021. During this time, 6,968 reports of death (0.0019%) were reported among people who received a COVID-19 vaccine.

What are the long-term effects of the vaccine?
Millions of people have received COVID-19 vaccines, and no long-term side effects have been detected. The CDC continues to closely monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

Will the vaccine give you COVID?
No. None of the authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines cause you to test positive on viral tests, which are used to see if you have a current infection.

It was developed so quickly. Is it safe?
Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines, and these vaccines have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history.

The vaccine is experimental.
This is not true. All the vaccines have all been put through standard safety testing before being rolled out to the public.

Is Ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine effective in treating COVID-19?
A National Institutes of Health clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of adults with COVID-19 has formally concluded that the drug provides no clinical benefit to hospitalized patients. There also seems to be a growing interest in ivermectin, a drug used to treat or prevent parasites in animals. FDA has not approved ivermectin for use in treating or preventing COVID-19 in humans. It is not an anti-viral -- a drug for treating viruses -- and taking large doses of this drug is dangerous and can cause serious harm.

Masks don’t work in protecting you against COVID
Masks work. COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets. Respiratory droplets travel into the air when you cough, sneeze, talk, shout, or sing. These droplets can then land in the mouths or noses of people who are near you or they may breathe these droplets in. Masks are a simple barrier to help prevent your respiratory droplets from reaching others. Studies show that masks reduce the spray of droplets when worn over the nose and mouth.

What’s in the vaccine?
All three vaccines authorized or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been thoroughly tested and found to be safe and effective in preventing severe COVID-19. They continue to undergo continuous and intense safety monitoring. Vaccine ingredients vary by manufacturer.

To learn more about the ingredients in authorized COVID-19 vaccines, see
Information about the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
Information about the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
Information about the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine
Ingredients Included in COVID-19 Vaccines

Does the vaccine reduce immunity?
No. The COVID-19 vaccines help BUILD immunity. Vaccines help develop immunity by imitating an infection. This type of infection, however, almost never causes illness, but it does cause the immune system to produce T-lymphocytes and antibodies.