Assistant professor of Pediatrics at Dell Medical School Dr. Ana Avalos debunks misconceptions surrounding the currently approved COVID-19 vaccines in the United States.
Myth 1: The COVID-19 vaccine is actually going to cause the disease.
Fact: The vaccine cannot make you sick because it does not carry the live virus. It simply teaches your immune system how to recognize and defend against the virus.
Myth 2: The COVID-19 vaccine will enable me to test positive in a COVID-19 test.
Fact: A positive, viral test indicates a real, current infection. The goal of the vaccine is to cause immunization, so you may test positive in some antibody tests.
Myth 3: I recovered from COVID-19 already, so I do not need to get vaccinated.
Fact: For multiple reasons, you need the vaccine even if you’ve had COVID-19.
Myth 4: The vaccine will alter my DNA.
Fact: The messenger RNA of the vaccine in no way alters or interacts with your DNA.
Learn more about COVID-19 and UT Austin’s response, including campus operations, preventive measures and news stories, at this website: coronavirus.utexas.edu.
