Covid-19 Vaccine: Myths Versus Facts
by: Jude Beale
Since the Covid-19 vaccine first became available in the United States in December of 2020, there have been many false and untrue ideas circulating. This has included many things that scare and even prevent people from wanting to receive it. Since Covid-19 changed our daily lives in March 2020, doctors and scientists have worked hard to create a safe vaccine. Three common myths held by hundreds of people around the country are that the Covid-19 vaccine can alter your DNA, Covid-19 vaccines contain fetal tissue, and that the vaccine contains a microchip.
One myth that has been circulating around America and the world is that Covid-19 vaccines can change your DNA. This is false and instead, Covid-19 vaccines use mRNA to tell the cells in the human body to make a piece of the coronavirus’s spike protein which initiates an immune system response. Once the mRNA does that, our cells break it down and get rid of the mRNA. Most Epstein students believe that no company would ever put anything in the vaccine to change someone’s DNA. Others think that this could actually be a possibility. For example, “I feel like some companies might put DNA of some animals in vaccines maybe,” Jordan Keilien, 6th grader, tells Eagles Online.
Another myth is that Covid-19 vaccines contain aborted fetal tissue. There are three Covid-19 vaccines that are approved for use in the United States. The Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson vaccines do not use fetal cell lines during the development or production phases. Therefore, no fetal cell lines were used to manufacture the vaccines. Furthermore, fetal cell lines are not inside the vaccine itself. However, all three companies used the fetal cell line HEK 293 in the final phase to confirm that the vaccines work. There is a list of ingredients posted for each of these vaccines explaining what is being injected into the bodies of humans around the world. Molly Diamant, a 6th grader, stresses, “I don’t think they would secretly want to inject something into you if it was not for health reasons.”
A third dangerous myth circulating is that Covid-19 vaccines include a microchip. Many have found false evidence for this claim. These false claims have scared thousands of people thinking that when they receive a vaccine, they will have a microchip injected into their bodies. First, it is proven that there is no vaccine microchip. Furthermore, currently, there is no evidence to support claims that this is planned. Receiving a vaccine will not allow people to be tracked and personal information will not be entered into a database. Some believe that there is a possibility for this in the future. Ilan Bachar, a 6th grader, doesn't think that the COVID vaccines contain microchips but admits that he thinks that "It is possible" that this could be done. Others don’t think it is a possibility even if producers tried to have a micro-chip in the vaccine. Says Keilen, “I do not believe that the vaccines could have a micro-chip to go through a tiny syringe. It would cost a lot of money to produce thousands of micro-chips to go in every vaccine.”
Some believe creating false evidence for the vaccine is only for attention. Keilen thinks that people wanting "To get attention over media” could be one of the big motivations behind the vaccine myths. When asked if these Covid-19 myths are possible in the future, Dylan Feinberg, a 6th grader, says that while he believes all these things are possible, he doesn't think that means they will happen, "I don’t think there is a reason" for any of these myths to become reality, he says.
Scientists have worked for months to create a working and safe Covid-19 vaccine. Brendan Blatt, a 6th grader, exclaimed, “There are smart scientists and doctors who are working on the vaccine, and even if you have beef against the government, scientific companies are making the vaccine and the government is only sponsoring it and giving it out.” In the end, many people have worked hard to create a safe vaccine that will drive America and many countries out of the pandemic.