Can I skip the line or ditch my mask? The truth about 6 popular COVID vaccine myths
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department spends a lot of its day correcting online coronavirus misinformation, especially when it comes to the new vaccines.
“With so many people searching for answers, it is easy for misinformation to spread quickly,” Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said in a Friday news release.
Borenstein urged people to note where information is coming from, and to always check credible sources first.
“While the Internet is a useful tool for researching health-related issues, it does not replace a discussion with a public health or healthcare professional,” she said.
To help speed up the process, the department released some of the top myths they hear, and explained why you shouldn’t believe everything you read online.
1. Leftover vaccines are given out willy-nilly
Fiction: There are leftover vaccines at the end of the day, and you can walk up to get one.
Fact: Leftover doses will not be administered to people who show up without an appointment at the end of the day expecting a vaccine.
County vaccine clinics do sometimes find that they have several extra doses of vaccine at the end of the day, due to no-show appointments or because there were remaining doses from opened vials, but those doses aren’t being given out to random Joe Shmoes who walk in from the street, the Public Health Department says.
To avoid wasting the doses (because they can’t be preserved once taken from cold storage) the clinic will administer any extra doses at the end of the day to clinic staff, available first responders or emergency workers, or transfer them over to another clinic that needs additional doses.
No matter what, walk-ins at the end of the day are not being vaccinated, the department says.
2. Jumping the line works
Fiction: If you make an appointment and are not eligible, you will still get the vaccine.
Fact: Sorry line jumpers, this one definitely won’t work.
If you are not eligible for the vaccine and show up for an appointment, vaccine clinic staff will “politely turn you away,” the health department said.
With limited vaccine supply, the county is first focusing on vaccinating those most at risk for exposure and serious health outcomes; this includes residents over the age of 65, first responders, health workers and even some teachers.
To find out if you are currently eligible to get a vaccine, visit RecoverSLO.org/vaccine.
3. Doctor’s notes hold sway
Fiction: A doctor’s note will help you get an appointment sooner.
Fact: Vaccine supply is limited, so the SLO County Public Health Department is determining eligibility based on risk of exposure and age — not on whether your doctor says you have underlying health conditions.
Instead, you can keep an eye on your place in the vaccine line by visiting RecoverSLO.org/vaccine.
4. The vaccine will free you from the mask
Fiction: Once vaccinated, you do not need to wear a mask or socially distance.
Fact: This is one of the big ones. Once you are vaccinated, you can still get the virus for several weeks even after getting your shot.
Because of this, the county Public Health Department says you should still wear a mask in public, wash your hands and keep socially distanced from others to avoid being exposed.
Experts with the Centers for Disease Control are still learning about the protection that the vaccine provides and will update public health guidelines as new information becomes available.
5. You’ll get immediate immunity
Fiction: You are immediately protected against COVID-19 once vaccinated.
Fact: To repeat from the last myth, you can still get the virus several weeks after being vaccinated.
According to the Public Health Department, protection begins to build soon after you receive the first dose, but it takes both doses and at least two weeks after the second dose for the vaccine to reach 94% to 95% efficacy.
The good news is that though protection is not immediate once the vaccine enters your arm, researchers have found a noticeable drop-off in new coronavirus cases in those vaccinated, starting about 10 days after the first shot.
But you should still remember that getting vaccinated is not an immediate cure-all and you must continue to take protective measures to protect yourself and those around you, the Public Health Department says.
6. Vaccines put you at risk
Fiction: The vaccines are not safe.
Fact: The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, the Public Health Department says.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been through “rigorous testing and an extensive review process nationally and additionally by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, and the State of California,” according to the department. When used correctly, they have a 94% or 95% efficacy in fighting coronavirus.
What are credible sources of coronavirus health information?
So that’s six myths busted, but there are plenty more out there.
To help combat the spread of misinformation, the SLO County Public Health Department urges people to consider the source when looking at vaccine information on the Internet.
Both the SLO County Public Health Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccines and immunization web content is “researched, written, and approved by subject matter experts, including physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, and analysts,” according to the release, and science and public health data are frequently updated.
Other potential sources for vaccine guidance are:
- County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department: recoverslo.org/vaccine
- California Department of Public Health: covid19.ca.gov/vaccines
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19
- National Institutes of Health: covid19.nih.gov
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration: fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/covid-19-vaccines
For more information, visit ReadySLO.org or call the recorded Public Health Information Line at 805-788-2903. A staffed phone assistance center at 805-543-2444 is available to assist with questions related to COVID-19, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This story was originally published February 12, 2021 at 4:04 PM.
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