Vaccines: Myths versus Facts

By: Muhammad Saad

Credits: Muhammad Saad - Imgflip template

“The government rushed the trials; the lawyers indemnified the drug companies. Maybe it causes autism, narcolepsy, or cancer 10 years from now. WHO KNOWS?” (Alan, Contagion 2011).

Haven’t watched this blockbuster already? Wait till you finish this blog and WATCH IT ASAP!

I bet you’ll be surprised how accurately a movie from 2011 portrays the world in a global pandemic. Though the plot revolves around tackling the virus and finding a cure amidst a global health crisis, Contagion also raises some pretty interesting questions. Alan, the main antagonist argues how the big Pharma is deeply anchored to make the best profit out of every opportunity. That they don’t care what side effects the vaccine may have and that the dollars speak more than the health of the general public. But let’s not further spoil the movie and understand what actually is a vaccine.

So, what is a vaccine?

According to the CDC, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccines are a simple, safe, and effective method to train the body’s immune system into creating antibodies for harmful diseases without coming into contact with them. In simple words, vaccines use our body’s natural defenses to build resistance against certain infections and make our immune response stronger. Usually, this is achieved by using a killed or weakened strain of the specific disease.

But wait…If they’re using the same disease to create vaccines for it, what if it actually causes the disease? What if it causes cancer or narcolepsy or autism just like Alan said? WHAT IF THEY’RE PLANTING COMPUTER CHIPS IN THE NAME OF VACCINES??? NO!!

Credits: Imgflip

Sometimes these rumors can be overwhelming and vaccination may seem dangerous, but there can be no better way than to address these myths head-on and understand what the actual facts are. Let’s begin, shall we?

Myth: Vaccines cause autism

Ahh…What a classic to begin with. Let’s settle this once and for all. Claims of vaccines causing autism stem from a single study published in 1998 which raised concerns about possible connections between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. Later, however, the study was found to be seriously flawed and fraudulent such that the paper was retracted by the journal that published it and the author lost their medical license. Unfortunately, its publication has continued to fuel the agenda of the anti-vaxxers over the years and has lowered immunization rates in many countries. Nevertheless, there is no evidence of any link between vaccination and autism or autistic disorders to date which has been demonstrated in many studies, across very large populations.

Unverified information regarding vaccines and autism is being spread through news articles. Credits: McMaster University

Myth: Covid-19 vaccines cause infertility

No, they do not. But Covid might. In December 2020, a German epidemiologist raised concerns stating the Covid-19 vaccine might cause rejection of a protein connected to the placenta in women, therefore making women infertile. This was quickly picked up by the anti-vaccination blogs, websites, etc., and became the forefront of the battle against Covid vaccination. However, clinical trials and preliminary research have shown that Covid-19 vaccines appear to have no impact on women’s fertility. However, a recent review paper published in the journal Reproductive Biology shows that Covid-19 can cause decreased sperm count, testicular inflammation, sperm duct inflammation, and testicular pain in men of reproductive age. These effects are enough to lead scientists to hypothesize that Covid may cause fertility issues in men, warranting further research in this area.

An anti-vaxxer dressed up as President Biden holds a sign implying vaccines cause infertility. Credits: Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

Myth: Vaccines have too many severe side-effects

Sorry, you’re completely wrong about this, Alan. The side effects from most vaccines are mild. These include swelling or soreness at the injection site, a mild fever, chills, and general malaise. These reactions usually go away within hours but in rare cases could last for a day or two. It is estimated that out of a million vaccinations, one or two people have a serious allergic reaction. However, catching the disease can prove to be much more problematic compared to the side effects of its vaccine as explained by Kurzgesagt in their video on ‘The Side Effects of Vaccines’.

Myth: Vaccines can actually cause disease.

Nope. Vaccines can induce modest symptoms similar to the disease they are designed to protect against. A widespread misperception is that these symptoms indicate illness. In fact, in the small percentage of cases (less than one in one million) where symptoms do arise, they are caused by the body's immune response to the vaccine rather than the disease itself. This is because some vaccines contain weakened or dead cousins of the real virus which helps the immune system create memory cells.

How do vaccines work? Credit: Allegro Pediatrics

Myth: Vaccines contain dangerous chemicals

Once again, NO!! Though there are some unsettling-sounding components in vaccines, such as formaldehyde, it is vital to highlight that they are present in very little and harmless concentrations. In fact, the quantity of formaldehyde in vaccinations is less than that found in the body. Mercury in vaccinations is also a concern for some parents. Thimerosal, a mercury-containing compound, was taken out of childhood immunizations in 2001.

Right…What now then?

It’s been over 200 years since Edward Jenner founded vaccination by inoculating a 13-year-old boy with cowpox to demonstrate immunity to smallpox. Yet, vaccination is still considered ‘unnatural’ in many societies and people like Alan are always there, capitalizing on every opportunity to spread misinformation and their agenda against vaccines. Therefore, it’s in our greater good to not just take vaccine shots for ourselves but also promote it to the fullest.

References

‘Batman Slapping Robin’ meme by Imgflip

Immunization - The Basics by CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/imz-basics.htm

Antibody by Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/science/antibody

‘We Don’t Do That Here’ meme by Imgflip

DeStefano, F., Price, C. S., & Weintraub, E. S. (2013). Increasing exposure to antibody-stimulating proteins and polysaccharides in vaccines is not associated with risk of autism. The Journal of pediatrics, 163(2), 561–567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.02.001

Unverified information regarding vaccines and autism is being spread through news articles by McMaster University

Here’s Where That COVID-19 Vaccine Infertility Myth Came From—And Why It Is Not True by Henry Ford Health: https://www.henryford.com/blog/2021/04/fertility-rumor-covid-vaccine

No Evidence that COVID-19 Vaccines Affect Fertility by CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/planning-for-pregnancy.html

Wesselink, A. K., Hatch, E. E., Rothman, K. J., Wang, T. R., Willis, M. D., Yland, J., Crowe, H. M., Geller, R. J., Willis, S. K., Perkins, R. B., Regan, A. K., Levinson, J., Mikkelsen, E. M., & Wise, L. A. (2022). A Prospective Cohort Study of COVID-19 Vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 Infection, and Fertility. American journal of epidemiology, 191(8), 1383–1395. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwac011

Safrai, M., Rottenstreich, A., Herzberg, S., Imbar, T., Reubinoff, B., & Ben-Meir, A. (2021, June 1). Stopping the misinformation: BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine has no negative effect on women’s fertility | medRxiv. medRxiv. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.30.21258079v1

Understanding the cross-talk between mediators of infertility and COVID-19 - ScienceDirect. (2021, September 1). Understanding the Cross-talk Between Mediators of Infertility and COVID-19 - ScienceDirect. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1642431X21000802#bib0765

An anti-vaxxer dressed up as President Biden holds a sign implying vaccines cause infertility by Mark Felix/AFP: Getty Images

Possible side effects from vaccines – CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/side-effects.htm

The Side Effects of Vaccines - How High is the Risk? – Kurzgesagt: https://youtu.be/zBkVCpbNnkU

Zingg W. (2005). Machen Impfungen krank? [Does vaccination cause disease?]. Therapeutische Umschau. Revue therapeutique, 62(10), 665–674. https://doi.org/10.1024/0040-5930.62.10.665

Memory cells by Arizona State University: https://askabiologist.asu.edu/memory-b-cell

How do vaccines work? by Allegro Pediatrics

What’s in Vaccines?: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/additives.htm

Edward Jenner and the history of smallpox and vaccination: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1200696/