Concern 6: Can I trust the COVID-19 vaccine? It was developed so fast.

Although the COVID-19 vaccine was developed faster than typical, the vaccines were still required to go through all the proper phases of testing and analysis to make sure they are safe and effective—no step in the process was skipped. The COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. They are also under the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. As of June 2021, more than 300 million doses of COVID-19 have been administered in the U.S. All of the scientific data has proven them to be safe and effective and critical to ending the global pandemic.

View the facts: Six common concerns about COVID-19 vaccines.

—Nora Stelter, associate professor of pharmacy practice

Concern 5: What about the recent reports of myocarditis?

There have been reports to the voluntary Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) of inflammation of the heart muscle—called myocarditis— happening after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. This is likely vaccine-induced myocarditis and has been observed in mostly young men after receiving their second dose of vaccine. However, the number of individuals that reported this side effect is very small compared to the hundreds of millions of people that have been vaccinated. Also, most patients who experienced myocarditis had a full recovery from symptoms. The benefits of the getting vaccinated outweigh the small risk of myocarditis.

View the facts: Six common concerns about COVID-19 vaccines.

—Nora Stelter, associate professor of pharmacy practice

Concern 4: Can the COVID-19 vaccine affect my fertility?

This myth arose from a false social media article. There is absolutely no scientific evidence that indicates that COVID-19 vaccines can affect fertility. The false report stated that the spike protein on the coronavirus was the same as another spike protein found during pregnancy, and that getting the COVID-19 vaccine would cause a woman’s body to fight this spike protein and affect her fertility. This is not true. The two spike proteins are completely different, and getting the COVID-19 vaccine will not affect fertility.

During the Pfizer vaccine testing, 23 women volunteers involved in the study became pregnant, and the only one who suffered a pregnancy loss had not received the actual vaccine, but a placebo. In addition, a large number of pregnant women have received the COVID-19 vaccine, and it has been shown to be completely safe.

View the facts: Six common concerns about COVID-19 vaccines.

—Nora Stelter, associate professor of pharmacy practice

Concern 3: Can the COVID-19 vaccine change my DNA?

The vaccines cannot change your DNA. Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna vaccines are messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. They do not enter the nucleus of the cell where our DNA (our genetic code) resides and do not affect our DNA.

So, what do mRNA vaccines do? The mRNA vaccines contain instructions that tell your own cells to make a protein (the little spike or “crown” that you see on pictures of the coronavirus) that is unique to COVID-19. These spike proteins cannot harm you or give you COVID-19. Your immune system reacts to this protein and activates a response, which includes making antibodies that can recognize and fight COVID-19 if you do get exposed.

Interesting fact: The vaccine itself only stays in your body for about 72 hours after vaccination, but your immune system now has the ability to recognize and attack the virus should it come into contact with it in the future. That doesn’t mean you can’t contract COVID-19 in the future, but it does mean that if you do, you are much less likely to become extremely ill with symptoms, become hospitalized, or die from the virus.

This activation of your immune system may cause some temporary, minor side effects, such as a slight fever, headache, aches and feeling tired. That’s ok! It means your immune system is working and gearing up for battle should it come into contact with COVID-19.

View the facts: Six common concerns about COVID-19 vaccines.

—Nora Stelter, associate professor of pharmacy practice

Concern 2: If I’ve already had COVID-19, do I need to get vaccinated?

Even if you’ve had COVID-19, you should definitely get vaccinated. We’re still learning about natural immunity and how long it lasts after COVID-19 infection, but we do know that getting a vaccine after you’ve recovered from COVID-19, strengthens your immune response. We also know that the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines provide better protection than natural infection against rapidly spreading, highly contagious variants such as Delta. Finally, getting vaccinated protects our community, especially our more vulnerable members of society. Think of getting vaccinated as an act of care—it protects your grandparents, parents, neighbors and immunocompromised friends.

View the facts: Six common concerns about COVID-19 vaccines.

—Nora Stelter, associate professor of pharmacy practice  

Concern 1: Is COVID-19 dangerous for young adults?

While young adults have a lower risk of developing severe outcomes from COVID-19, there have been thousands of young people who have required hospitalization and more than 2,400 adults between the ages 18–29 have died. Beyond getting vaccinated to protect our own health, we have a responsibility to keep our community safe and healthy. When you get vaccinated, you’re doing your part to protect those around you—it’s truly a collective effort. This is why it’s important to get vaccinated.

View the facts: Six common concerns about COVID-19 vaccines.

—Nora Stelter, associate professor of pharmacy practice