By: Madison Duke
As COVID-19 continues to make headlines in our newspapers, notifications, and media, a number of misconceptions about the vaccines have arisen, including the notion that they will cause more harm than good. Today, The Cajor will be dispelling any false beliefs that you may have about the COVID-19 vaccines and providing you with the cold hard facts!
Will the vaccine make me infertile?
As a (potential) parent, naturally, there should be concern surrounding your child’s safety and health, as well as your ability to conceive children. When the vaccines were issued, amid the worry and apprehension about immunization, one particular question rose quite a bit of disquiet among women: will the vaccines cause infertility?
We are pleased to inform you that numerous doctors have officially confirmed that COVID-19 vaccines will not cause infertility. The women who volunteered for the initial clinical trials of the vaccine could conceive, and those who were pregnant when receiving the vaccine birthed happy and healthy babies. Although the vaccines themselves are new within the population, the machines used to create the vaccines are not and have actually been forming vaccines for an extended period. This means that throughout all the vaccines that have been crafted with this technology, the shots have not been proven to have any substantial health risks, including the massive risk of infertility. It has been scientifically shown that if a woman contracts the virus without the antibodies in her system, she is more likely to suffer stillbirth and maternal death, and contracting other illnesses. Moral of the story, ladies: no, the vaccine will not harm your reproductive organs, and you’re not going to get infertile, but high risk could be introduced if you don’t vaccinate and contract the virus.
The Graphene-Vaccine Myth
The infertility myth isn’t the only rumour circling the internet; a false allegation that Pfizer contains graphene oxide has recently sparked anxious conversations all across the internet. If you are unfamiliar with the substance, graphene oxide is a hazardous toxic compound when ingested. This graphene-vaccine myth originated in Spain, but specialists have been quick to shut down the speculation, and the allegation was later proven to be false. In fact, Pfizer has released a list of ingredients found within their vaccine, and there is no indication that graphene is present in the shot, let alone making up 99% of it. It is also important to remember that should Pfizer honestly be lying about its ingredient list, they will be facing massive charges and likely further unforgiving reprimanding – an enormous blow to their operations, which should be the exact opposite of what a company wants. So have a little faith in science!
Was the vaccine rushed, and therefore unsafe?
When word of a possible vaccine became public, I think you can all relate to me when the feeling of relief rushed into me as the end of the pandemic became a speck of light in the horizon; however, at the same time, many people were concerned that the vaccine was rushed and hence unsafe. This is a valid worry, and we understand your anxious sentiments.
Although the COVID-19 vaccines were made in a shorter timeframe than frankly all other vaccines we’ve ever seen, the distributed Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna shots have been undergoing extensive research for several years to be able to react quickly if a vaccine were to be needed for a pandemic (ahem). Thankfully, many people were also willing to volunteer to help develop a vaccine and participate in clinical trials very early on. Given that COVID-19 has hit every headline and nearly every country, stopping the spread has been the hot topic for quite some time. As such, many governments globally found immense value in investing in vaccine research, as well as many generous donations from others to help speed development and gain priority access during rollout (this becomes an issue that COVAX has tried to deal with, but that’s for another article). So to quell your worries, the vaccines have been the fastest developed in history because of the communal effort and funding in an industry where money = research, whereas other vaccines do not come nearly as close on the list of priorities, causing a slower development due to lack of resources.
Why You Should Get Vaccinated
I could drone on and on about reasons to get vaccinated, but I’ll keep things sweet and short. Getting vaccinated is essential not just for your own protection, but also for the safety of others around you, particularly those at high risk of contracting the virus – your grandparents, your neighbour suffering from another disease, the list goes on. If you obtain the vaccine, which offers antibodies to defend you from the harmful impacts of COVID-19, you are MUCH less likely to have severe symptoms in the miniscule chance that you contract the virus, allowing for a faster and safer recovery!
With more and more people doing their part and getting vaccinated, immunization means that you can begin resuming activities you had engaged in before the pandemic – we can start returning to the normalcy we had. The vaccine is intended to help us, the people, and stop the spread of the disease that has ravaged the world so we can return to growth on all fronts once again.
Even if common misconceptions continue to arise (and I’m sure that they will), I strongly encourage you to fact-check and do your share of due diligence before believing anything you read online. Usually, all it takes is a quick Google search, as the most reputable and honest sources often rank first in search, giving you quick and hassle-free answers to your burning questions. Additionally, go visit your local pharmacy, hospital, or mass immunization clinic to get vaccinated for the safety of our communities and allow for normalcy to come back into our lives!
If you have any questions about COVID-19 vaccines, feel free to share them in the comment section below, and we will answer you honestly with information backed up by reputable sources!
The Cajor 