Here are 8 common COVID-19 vaccine myths debunked

Many are beginning to see the light at the end of the coronavirus disease 2019 tunnel as vaccination against COVID-19 has started rolling out.

However, more than half of Filipinos have shown hesitation in getting their jabs.

According to the latest Pulse Asia Survey, 61% of Filipinos don't want to get vaccinated. Many fear that the vaccine isn't safe nor is it effective. To clear up some of the misconceptions surrounding vaccines, here are a few myths that are important to debunk.

Myth #1: Vaccine side effects are worse than getting COVID-19

Despite common misconceptions, you'll only experience mild side effects after getting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine shot.

Having side effects such as chills and mild fever is normal, and is a good sign that the vaccine's immune response is active.

There have been reports of some blood clot incidents involving some vaccines, but these are being studied further.

"Wala namang bakunang walang side effect. Ang importante kasi is malaman nila na hindi naman talaga 100% wala ka mararamdaman kapag ikaw ay binakunahan," National Adverse Events Following Immunization Committee (NAEFIC) Chairperson Dr. Lulu Bravo said.

[There is no vaccine without side effects. People need to know that it's not like 100% you won't feel anything after you've been vaccinated.]

She added that we've been vaccinating people for years now and the COVID-19 vaccine has been studied by experts.

"Napakalaking benepisyo ng bakuna kumpara sa maaaring maramdaman mo as side effects," Bravo said.

[The benefit from the vaccine far outweighs the slight discomfort of side effects.]

It's also untrue that you'll get COVID-19 once you get vaccinated.

Some vaccines use a viral vector to deliver the vaccine. However, this will not lead to getting COVID-19 or any other disease.

Myth #2: COVID-19 vaccines will make you infertile

The COVID-19 vaccine cannot make anyone infertile.

According to a recent study from the USA's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the vaccine is also safe for pregnant women, except for those with serious problems or complications.

Myth #3: COVID-19 vaccines will alter your DNA

The COVID-19 vaccines won't alter your DNA.

Some vaccines are based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, which is a set of instructions for cells to develop an immune response against the virus. However, these do not have the ability to alter our DNA.

The World Health Organization (WHO)'s Dr. Katherine O'Brien said, "There's no way that mRNA can turn into DNA and there's no way mRNA can change the DNA of our human cells."

There is also no proof that there are harmful elements such as microchips found in the vaccines.

Myth #4: You might die if you get the COVID-19 vaccine

The COVID-19 vaccine isn't poisonous.

According to scientists and vaccine experts, there has been no connection nor pattern between the vaccine and the cause of death of those who passed away after getting the vaccine.

Bravo said, "Karamihan talaga ng nakikita nating nangyayari pagkatapos ng bakuna ay may kinalaman sa dati niyang sakit, hindi doon sa bakuna."

[Most of what we see after getting the vaccine has something to do with their pre-existing illness, not the vaccine.]

She added, "Nagkakataon, 'yun ang tawag natin o coincidental na noong time na nabakunahan siya. Hindi natin masasabi galing sa bakuna. Kung hindi, gagawin natin iimbestigahan muna natin ano ang dati niyang sakit."

[It just so happened or it's coincidental that it happened when the person got vaccinated. We can't say that it's from the vaccine. If not, we'd have to investigate what was the person's preexisting disease.]

The main goal of the vaccine is to lessen your chances of dying if you contract COVID-19.

Myth #5: If you've had COVID-19, there's no need to get vaccinated

Even if you've had COVID-19, it's still better to get vaccinated.

Once you've recovered from the disease, your immunity can be weakened over time. It can be boosted and strengthened with vaccination.

Myth #6: You should wait for the best COVID-19 vaccine to be available

At the end of the day, all vaccines are effective.

According to Bravo, we can't compare the efficacy rate of the COVID-19 vaccines since its clinical trial procedure differs from one another.

"'Yung Moderna, Pfizer, ginawas sa USA, ikukumpara mo sa clinical trial na ginawa sa Brazil, most likely 'yung efficacy rate ng bakuna mas mataas talaga doon sa area na hindi ganoon kalakas ang hawaan kumpara doon sa lugar na ginagamit ng mga tao na healthcare frontliners, overcrowded 'yung area maraming taong nagsasama. Talagang ang efficacy ng bakuna hindi ganoon kataas," the doctor said.

[You compare Moderna, Pfizer that was made in the USA to the clinical trials made in Brazil, it's most likely that its efficacy rate will be higher in the area where transmission isn't that high compared to the area where the people who use it are healthcare frontliners and those living in overcrowded areas. Efficacy won't be that high.]

The efficacy rate of each vaccine is based on the clinical trials conducted before it was approved. In the clinical trials, what became factors to be considered were the country where the trials were held, the number of cases, infection rate, COVID-19 variants, and type of vaccine.

Bravo said that each clinical trial had three phases. Phase 1 tests whether the vaccine will have severe side effects and checks what dose is safe for use.

"Sa unang signal na mayroong hindi magandang epekto, tatapon na 'yang bakunang 'yan. Hindi na itutuloy," she added.

[At the first signal that it has bad effects, that vaccine will be thrown away. It won't be continued.]

In Phase 2, scientists will increase the number of subjects they will regularly check up on, and in Phase 3, they'll further increase the number of volunteers where the minimum will be 15,000 people.

All vaccines, therefore, have been proven to be effective in preventing moderate to severe symptoms of COVID-19.

"Ang pinakamagaling na bakuna na makukuha natin ay 'yung available ," Bravo said. "At 'yung na-check ang safety, na-check 'yung kaya natin ibigay sa ating mga tao at maganda rin ang efficacy."

(The best vaccine we can get is the one available. And the ones that were found to be safe, that we can inoculate people with, and that were effective).

Myth #7: COVID-19 vaccines were made in a rush and therefore are not reliable

COVID-19 vaccines are the fastest vaccines to be made in human history,  taking just a year to develop.

Although it's the fastest, it doesn't mean that it lacked the same amount of research compared to other vaccines for other diseases.

At this point, we already have vaccine technologies that hastened the analysis and research on the virus the vaccines are supposed to be effective against.

"Safety is the most important part of the clinical trials. Every single vaccine goes through every safety evaluation to be sure that it’s safe before it’s used on the general public," the WHO said.

Myth #8: You don't need to check anything before taking the COVID-19 vaccine

It's also important to note that there are also a few things to consider before taking the vaccine. Before getting the jab, make sure you have normal vital signs and are not feeling other illnesses. You also have to notify the medical experts if you have any allergies to any food or medicine.

Because of these, it's important that you only go to authorized vaccination centers to get the COVID-19 vaccine to make sure that there are medical experts to advise and guide you in what to do. — Kaela Malig/DVM, GMA News