Pharmacist debunks 8 jab myths
A Boots pharmacy manager is trying to persuade black and minority ethnic communities in Huddersfield to be inoculated with a Covid-19 vaccine.
Although more than 26 million people in the UK have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine uptake is lower amongst black and minority ethnic communities compared to white ethnicities.
Now Mubasher Ali, pharmacy area manager for West Yorks, dispels common myths about the Covid-19 vaccine to encourage people in Huddersfield to take up the offer of the vaccine.
He said: “In an area as diverse as Huddersfield, it is even more important that the community has confidence in the vaccine, as there is less uptake among black and minority ethnic communities.”
The vaccine contains a microchip. “There is zero evidence to rumours that the vaccine contains a microchip or any other kind of surveillance tracker.”
The vaccine contains pork and alcohol. “I get this question a lot in the pharmacy from patients with religious dietary restrictions. None of the vaccines contain any ingredients derived from animals - so there is no pork, beef or anything else. Some of the vaccines - like Oxford/AstraZeneca contain naturally occurring alcohol, but at an amount that is less than you would find in a slice of bread! The British Islamic Medical Association and the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board have said this is permitted.”
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine gives you blood clots. “A number of experts have closely reviewed the data, and the evidence available does not suggest that blood clots are caused by the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.”
The vaccine will affect my DNA. “I think this myth about the vaccine tampering with our DNA has really taken hold because some of the vaccines use a new technology called mRNA. The mRNA ingredient - found in Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna teach our cells to make proteins that trigger our immune system to defend us against the virus. The mRNA is not able to enter the nucleus of our body’s cells, which is where our DNA is stored. After a few days, the mRNA is broken down and removed.”
The vaccine couldn’t have been developed in such a short space of time? “The fast development of the Covid-19 vaccine was definitely unprecedented. But that’s because of the global effort and investment that went into this.”
The vaccination doesn’t work for people from BAME backgrounds. “There’s no evidence that either of the two vaccines being administered widely in the UK work differently according to ethnicity.”
The vaccine makes you sick after you take it. “You may experience mild side effects after getting the Covid19 vaccine. Common ones include tenderness, swelling and/or redness in your arm, headaches and tiredness that can last for a couple of days.”
The vaccine can make you infertile. “If you are planning to start a family there is no need to worry about having a Covid-19 vaccine - there is no clinical evidence to suggest that it affects male or female fertility.”