India is all prepped to begin vaccinating everyone over 18 years of age, but there are still a lot of myths surrounding the vaccinations that people have genuine concerns about.
1. If you are on your period, you can’t get your vaccine.
Many rumours began circulating on social media stating that you must take your vaccine shot 5 days before and after your period. But experts from across the country have busted this myth and made it very clear that you can and must get vaccinated, regardless of whether or not you are on your period.
2. The vaccine can cause infertility or miscarriage.
This information circulating online claims that the antibodies spike protein of Covid-19 produced from these vaccines, will bind to placental proteins and prevent pregnancy. However, the start of this rumour was from a known anti-vaccine doctor so it shouldn’t be trusted. During the vaccine trials, many women got pregnant and continued with the trials, so it is best to consult your doctor and get the shot if you get the clearance.
3. If you’ve already had Covid and recovered, then you don’t need to get vaccinated.
Since there is no concrete answer as to how long your immunity from Covid lasts after you get it, experts advice everyone to get vaccinated as it will only do you good. “There’s also a concern about whether or not natural immunity protects against various variants, whereas we’ve seen with the vaccines that there’s pretty good cross-protection, depending on the variants,” said Eric Sachinwalla, the medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia.
4. You don’t need to wear a mask and follow safety precautions, because you got vaccinated.
Not everyone will get vaccinated immediately, and it is unknown if you can still carry and transmit the virus to others. Until we know everything about the virus, it is better to take safety precautions such as mask-wearing and physical distancing.
5. The vaccine gives you Covid and that’s why you get a fever.
None of the vaccines will give you Covid-19. The immunity-rousing process of the vaccine can cause some symptoms, like fever and body ache. But experts have made it clear that this is a normal sign that your body is building immunity to the virus. However, it is still possible to get infected with the virus before the vaccine has had time to fully protect your body, so make sure to take precautions.
6. The vaccine doesn’t actually work, so you shouldn’t get it.
No vaccine provides a 100% protection, but it is still quite effective. It is better to be safe than sorry, and add another layer of protection. To bring the pandemic under control, it is important that a substantial amount of the population is vaccinated, so do your part and get the shots.
If you have any doubts regarding the vaccine, talk to your doctor and do not believe rumours circulating on the internet.