[imagesource: health.economictimes.indiatimes.com / Wikipedia]

Yes, we are still having these conversations.

The latest batch of South Africans to be eligible for the vaccine, aged 35 to 49, flocked to register and get the jab in record numbers.

From September 1, when those aged 18 to 34 are eligible, we can expect a similar surge, as well as a deluge of #content on the likes of TikTok and Instagram.

However, a large degree of hesitancy still remains, for reasons that range from somewhat understandable to downright ridiculous.

A recent survey found that 42 million American adults believe the COVID-19 vaccine installs secret microchips inside you.

The Conversation has debunked prominent myths that lead to vaccine hesitancy, one of which is related to the microchip, so let’s start there:

This conspiracy theory has been propagated by anti-vaxxers who believe that the American business magnate, investor and philanthropist Bill Gates will implant microchips to track people’s movement…

This myth gained traction when a video was shared on Facebook making false claims about the optional microchip on the syringe’s label of the COVID-19 vaccine. This microchip’s purpose is to confirm that the injectable and the vaccine are not counterfeit and haven’t expired. It will also confirm if the injection has been used.

Seriously, there is no microchip, and getting the vaccine won’t make you magnetic, either.

Getting the vaccine is not mandatory, and if you want to have an open, informed conversation around COVID-19 vaccines, with logic that is tethered to reality and a willingness to learn, that’s your right.

If you’re actively spreading misinformation that is demonstrably false, then don’t be surprised when people’s patience wears thin.

The next myth deals with claims that the COVID-19 vaccine will affect a woman’s fertility:

This myth was sparked when a social media post was shared in December 2020 by Dr Wolfgang Wodarg, a physician and former chief scientist for allergy and respiratory therapy at Pfizer, and Dr Michael Yeadon, a pulmonologist.

They claimed that the spike protein on the coronavirus was the same as the spike protein that is responsible for the growth and attachment of the placenta during pregnancy. The fear was that, as a result of the vaccine, the immune system would not be able to differentiate between the two spike proteins and would attack the placental protein.

This is untrue. The overall makeup of the placental protein is very different from the coronavirus spike protein.

In fact, during the Pfizer vaccine testing process, 23 of the female volunteers fell pregnant after getting vaccinated.

Another zinger out there relates to fears that the COVID-19 vaccine can alter a person’s DNA:

The messenger RNA vaccine (Pfizer) and the viral vector vaccine (Johnson and Johnson) cause your body to develop protection, so that when you are infected by SARS-CoV-2, your body is prepared to fight the virus.

DNA is located in the nucleus of your cells and the vaccine material does not enter the nucleus. So it does not alter the DNA.

Concerns around the side effects of the vaccine are more tethered to reality, with a recent study finding that was the primary concern for 25% of vaccine-hesitant South Africans.

Most of the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine are mild. They include low grade fever, sore arm and fatigue, and these usually subside after one to three days.

Rare side effects such as blood clots have been reported from the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. The chances of experiencing this side effect are low.

Here’s a great comparison of vaccine side effects versus COVID-19 damage from Healthline, a medically reviewed and fact-checked website.

Finally, some who have already had COVID-19 have pushed back against the need to be vaccinated:

Reinfection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can occur even in individuals who have previously contracted the virus. But receiving the vaccine can provide protection against severe COVID-19 complications.

The level of protection that is achieved from natural immunity after being infected by the virus is unknown. But scientists believe that the vaccine provides better protection than natural infection.

In addition, the antibodies that our bodies produce in response to the original SARS-CoV-2 variant don’t necessarily offer effective protection against the Delta variant.

One important caveat to bear in mind relates to how recently you had COVID-19.

Our national health department says you should wait for 35 days after your positive test result or 30 days after your last symptoms before getting vaccinated, regardless of whether you had COVID-19 with or without symptoms.

Here’s The Mail & Guardian:

This is also the case if you contract SARS-CoV-2 between the first and second shot of a Pfizer jab, even if it means that you wait for longer than the recommended 42 days before getting your second jab.

Here’s the director of the Centre for the Aids programme of Research in South Africa, and member of the Africa Task Force for Novel Coronavirus, Salim Abdool Karim with more on that front:

[sources:conversation&mg]