Buzz
Observing the evolution (or mutation?) of COVID vaccine rumors has been fascinating since their initial rollout.
Initially, many myths stemmed from the uncertainty surrounding the vaccines. However, with three approved options, five months of U.S. authorization, numerous safety and efficacy studies validating trial results, and nearly half of Americans receiving at least one dose, there’s far less basis for credible-sounding fear tactics.
Today, many myths are recycled anti-vaccine narratives from older disinformation campaigns, though earlier rumors still persist. Let’s delve into some of the most prevalent ones.
Myth: The vaccine can give you COVID
COVID vaccines cannot cause a COVID infection because none of them contain the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the disease.
While some vaccines use inactivated or weakened forms of the pathogen they target, none of the COVID vaccines are designed this way.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines consist solely of a fragment of mRNA, which instructs our bodies to produce the spike protein, a small component of the virus. The injection includes only the mRNA and supporting ingredients to facilitate its entry into your cells. This means:
It does not include the virus itself.
It does not include any viral proteins.
It does not include the virus’s complete RNA, only the segment responsible for the spike protein.
As a result, it cannot cause COVID. The virus is entirely absent, and its production process does not involve the virus.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine employs a different method but also excludes the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It utilizes a modified adenovirus (akin to the common cold virus) containing DNA that encodes the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
Myth: The vaccine can alter your DNA
The coronavirus uses RNA as its genetic material, while humans use DNA. These two are not interchangeable, ensuring your DNA remains unaffected.
Your DNA resides in the nucleus of each cell, and your body naturally produces mRNA copies of it to sustain life. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines introduce external mRNA, which does not interfere with or alter your DNA. (For more details, refer to our explainer on mRNA vaccines.)
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine includes DNA, but your cells prevent foreign DNA from entering the nucleus and integrating into your genetic material. Cells destroy any free-floating DNA or RNA, ensuring the vaccine’s genetic material doesn’t persist.
Other viruses, known as retroviruses, can convert RNA into DNA and sometimes integrate into DNA. However, this is irrelevant here because the coronavirus is not a retrovirus. It relies on RNA but cannot produce DNA. The adenovirus in the J&J vaccine also lacks this capability.
Neither the virus nor the vaccine contains a reverse transcriptase, the specialized molecule required to create DNA. Even if reverse transcriptase were somehow present, the viral RNA or vaccine mRNA lack the binding sites needed for it to function.
To use an analogy, imagine your DNA as a reference library. The books remain in the library, but a visitor might bring their own book (foreign DNA) or notebook (RNA) to use temporarily. There’s no mechanism for these items to become part of the library’s permanent collection.
Myth: The vaccine contains scary ingredients
The ingredient lists for the vaccines are clear and uncomplicated, containing no substances considered harmful to human health. They are free from aluminum, mercury, and human cells. The mRNA vaccines consist of just three types of components:
the mRNA
complex lipids (essentially advanced oils that encase the mRNA)
sugars, salts, and/or basic chemical buffers
The Pfizer vaccine’s third category includes potassium chloride, monobasic potassium phosphate, sodium chloride, dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate, and sucrose. While these names may sound technical, three are common household items: sucrose is sugar, sodium chloride is salt, and potassium chloride is a salt substitute. Refer to the Pfizer vaccine fact sheet for the complete ingredient list.
The Moderna vaccine uses a similar formula but with different ingredients. Alongside mRNA and lipids, it contains tromethamine, tromethamine hydrochloride, acetic acid, sodium acetate, and sucrose. These are common, simple substances used in medical solutions. Tromethamine is a buffer often used in labs, acetic acid is found in vinegar, and sucrose is sugar. See the Moderna vaccine fact sheet for details.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine includes an adenovirus carrying the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, salts, ethanol (alcohol), polysorbate-80 as a preservative, and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin to maintain the vaccine’s consistency. For more details, refer to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine fact sheet.
Even before COVID, vaccine misinformation was widespread. Some people assumed that ingredients found in certain vaccines, like mercury, were present in all vaccines. However, mercury is only in a few vaccines today. Let’s clarify what the COVID vaccines do not contain:
The COVID vaccines do not include aluminum or mercury.
The COVID vaccines do not contain preservatives (except polysorbate-80 in the J&J vaccine).
The COVID vaccines do not include fetal cells.
The COVID vaccines do not contain microchips.
There are no fetal cells in the COVID vaccines
Some vaccines are developed using lab-grown cell lines, which may originate from human fetal tissue. This has fueled the false claim that vaccines contain “pieces of aborted babies,” which is entirely untrue.
The Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines are not produced using cells, fetal or otherwise. They consist solely of synthetic mRNA, created without any cell involvement. While both companies used fetus-derived cell lines for certain tests during development, these cells were not used in the actual vaccine production.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine utilizes a fetal cell line in its manufacturing process, but no fetal cells are present in the final product. Importantly, no new fetal cells are collected for this process; the cells are lab-grown and trace back to a fetus from 1985.
For those concerned about this issue, a statement from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, approved by the Pope, offers guidance. It explains how vaccines tested on fetal-derived cell lines align with anti-abortion beliefs, emphasizing that vaccination is an act of love and moral responsibility for the common good. The bishops also recommend choosing Pfizer or Moderna vaccines when possible.
Myth: The vaccines contain microchips or something magnetic
The claim that vaccines contain microchips is entirely baseless, akin to flat-earth theories. This conspiracy, popularized in Qanon and anti-vaccine circles in 2020, lacks any factual foundation.
Injectable microchips do exist, and they are commonly given to pets at veterinary clinics. These microchips, which lack a battery and only store a serial number, are sometimes administered during the same visit as vaccines. This coincidence might have sparked the rumor about vaccines containing microchips.
If you’ve witnessed a microchip injection, you’ll notice it’s about the size of a grain of rice, requiring a larger needle. In contrast, vaccine needles are extremely thin, less than 1 millimeter wide. Watch Vice President Pence receive his COVID vaccine on camera—the needle is standard-sized, clearly too small to contain a microchip.
A TikTok trend claims vaccinated individuals develop magnetic arms. After becoming fully vaccinated, I tested this by attempting to stick magnets to my arm, as shown in the video above. None of the magnets adhered.
Myth: Vaccinated people “shed” virus
Vaccinated individuals are not a threat to those who are unvaccinated. The concept of vaccine “shedding” has some basis in reality, but it applies only to a few vaccines, such as the oral polio vaccine, which is rarely used globally. This vaccine contains a weakened live polio virus that could, in rare cases, infect others.
A few live attenuated vaccines carry a minimal risk of shedding under specific conditions, but none of the COVID-19 vaccines fall into this category.
The notion that COVID vaccine recipients shed the virus, spike proteins, or “GMOs” is entirely fictional.
Myth: The COVID vaccines will affect female fertility
Pregnant individuals were excluded from COVID vaccine trials, so data on safety and efficacy during pregnancy is limited. However, scientists and medical professionals see no reason to believe the vaccines would harm pregnant, lactating, or fertility-planning individuals, based on how the vaccines function.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has stated that the vaccine “should not be withheld” from pregnant individuals, despite their exclusion from trials. The CDC echoes this, advising that pregnant individuals may choose to get vaccinated and should consult their healthcare provider to make an informed decision.
A circulating rumor claims the spike protein mRNA resembles a placental protein, suggesting antibodies might attack the placenta and disrupt pregnancy. This is the basis for the false claim that the vaccine causes infertility or sterility.
However, this claim lacks evidence. In fact, there’s strong reason to believe it’s false: The spike protein produced by the mRNA is identical to the one on the actual coronavirus. If antibodies to the virus could harm pregnancy, it would affect both naturally infected individuals and vaccine recipients. But this is irrelevant because no significant similarity exists between the spike protein and the placenta.
Don’t rely solely on this explanation. If you’re pregnant or planning to conceive, consult your doctor to understand the potential risks and benefits of the COVID vaccine for your specific situation.
Myth: Vaccine development was rushed
The vaccine was developed and distributed faster than any other in history, but this doesn’t imply it was untested or that safety measures were compromised.
Both vaccines underwent trials involving over 30,000 participants, with half receiving the vaccine and half receiving a placebo. The extensive data confirms the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.
Myth: Deaths and scary side effects are being hidden
For most individuals, the side effects of the COVID vaccines are typical of an immune response. These include arm soreness, redness, or swelling at the injection site, and possibly fatigue or fever for a day or two. The intensity of these reactions varies by person, as with other vaccines.
Serious side effects fall into two categories: those that are real or plausible, and those fabricated to spread fear on social media.
The most notable real side effect is that a few recipients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine developed rare blood clots. This was identified through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, a government database tracking potential vaccine-related health issues. (Regulators investigate and validate serious reports.)
In response, regulators paused the vaccine to assess the risk. After determining the clotting risk was real but minimal, they allowed vaccinations to resume, provided providers and patients are informed of the risks. (The risk of clots from the vaccine is far lower than from COVID-19 itself.)
Other safety concerns exist, as with any medical treatment. For instance, a small number of people experienced severe allergic reactions, prompting the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases to plan a study to investigate further. If linked to the vaccine, such reactions appear to be exceedingly rare.
If you’ve encountered bizarre or alarming stories, they were likely fabricated for attention. Always verify before believing. For instance, a nurse fainted post-vaccination (a common reaction to injections), but rumors falsely claimed she died. Similarly, a trial participant developed a foot skin condition and blamed the vaccine online, only to later discover she was in the placebo group. Despite this, her story continued to spread.
Recently, anti-vaccine groups have misused VAERS, the vaccine injury database, by distorting data or sharing unverified claims. Keep in mind, US regulators paused the J&J vaccine over six severe clotting cases, making it unlikely that serious incidents are being overlooked.
