Does the COVID-19 vaccine give me COVID? Fact or Fiction?

Angela Hollingsworth, DNP, RN, CEN, NEA-BC

What a year this has been, and the COVID-19 vaccination will shortly be available to all U.S. citizens. In some communities, there are some reservations about taking a vaccination. For example, there has always been the misconception that if you take the flu shot, you will get the flu. This is fiction. Some people have always had a reaction to the flu vaccine while building antibodies; however, it does not give you the flu. The same is true for the COVID-19 vaccine. According to the CDC (2021), a person may experience some illness after taking the vaccine such as fever and warmth to the injection site. These are good signs that your immune system is working properly while building antibodies to fight the infection. You will not test positive for COVID after the injection, unless the test is specific for antigens. If you have recovered from COVID, you still need the vaccination. According to experts at the CDC (2021), we do not know enough about the immunity from infection, and you can be re-infected. It takes a few weeks to build the antibodies, so you may still contract COVID during that time after the injection.

It is imperative that you take the vaccination unless your healthcare provider advises you against it. We will never be able to get ahead of this virus, if you refuse. A day or two of arm soreness is worth avoiding the illness because of the risk of death or disability from COVID-19. All the more reason to get your vaccination. Be safe out there.

References

Centers for Disease Control, 2021. Facts about covid. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html