The development of COVID-19 vaccinations has helped slow the spread of this deadly virus, save lives, and protect high-risk individuals, such as those in elderly care and with compromised immune systems. While the vaccines are effective, misinformation has caused some people to be hesitant to receive the shots. Below are the truths behind several misconceptions you may encounter.

What Are Some COVID-19 Vaccination Myths?

1. The Vaccines Are Unsafe 

While the COVID-19 vaccines were developed quickly, pharmaceutical companies still had to prove they were safe and effective before receiving emergency authorization from the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Researchers have long studied other forms of coronaviruses, and they applied this knowledge to help speed development of the COVID-19 vaccines.

All vaccines go through three phases of clinical trials before receiving FDA approval. For the COVID-19 vaccines, these phases overlapped to speed up the process. The trials involved tens of thousands of volunteers and the data collected showed the vaccines were safe and effective against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. 

2. The Vaccines Cause COVID-19

Vaccines work by teaching your immune system to recognize and fight a virus. Most do this by introducing a harmless piece of the virus into the body, which allows your immune system to produce targeted antibodies. However, the COVID-19 vaccines use messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), which is made in a laboratory, to tell your body how to fight the virus. While these vaccines are the only mRNA vaccines approved or authorized by the FDA, scientists have studied this technology for decades. 

Since the shots do not use the live virus, they cannot give you COVID-19. However, the response they trigger in your immune system can temporarily cause symptoms similar to the disease, such as fever, body aches, and chills. These symptoms indicate that your body is building immunity, and typically last for only a few hours.

3. You Can Still Get COVID-19

No vaccine is 100% effective, which means a small percentage of fully vaccinated people can still get COVID-19. These instances are known as "breakthrough cases," and most of these infections result in mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. This is especially beneficial for high-risk individuals, such as those in elderly care or with compromised immune symptoms, as the vaccines greatly reduce the chances of severe illness, hospitalization, or death. Instead, these people are more likely to have mild reactions to the virus.

Fully vaccinated high-risk individuals, like seniors in elderly care, should continue to exercise caution against COVID-19. The professionals at Priority One Healthcare Services in St. Louis, MO, provide high-quality home health care services that enable seniors to live comfortably. Their compassionate caregivers create personalized plans for each client to provide mental and physical care. Call (314) 776-9066 to speak with a team member, and visit the website for more information about their services.