COVID-19 vaccines can’t trigger new variants, together with omicron

Omicron, a SARS-CoV-2 variant also referred to as the B.1.1.529 variant, was reported to the World Well being Group (WHO) from South Africa on Nov. 24. It was found amidst a rise in infections. 

Within the days following the announcement of the brand new variant, screenshots of an article from Techniajz.com that presupposed to share the signs of the omicron variant started circulating on-line. Some social media customers alleged the checklist of unwanted effects for the brand new variant had been the identical unwanted effects individuals skilled after receiving the Pfizer vaccine.

Different tweets declare the vaccine prompted the variant (see instance right here). The Twitter account for @techni_ajz  has additionally retweeted hyperlinks to the article suggesting extra youngsters will get the variants the extra they’re vaccinated.

Might receiving a COVID-19 vaccine create new variants of the virus?

No, the COVID-19 vaccine can’t create new variants. Docs inform VERIFY getting vaccinated slows each the unfold of COVID-19 and the event of recent variants. 

Dr. Daniel B. Fagbuyi, an emergency room doctor and biodefense knowledgeable, mentioned it’s “not attainable” for a vaccine to create or trigger the event of recent variants as a result of that’s not how virus mutations work.

A variant emerges when the unique virus mutates. Variants that survive and unfold comprise some properties that make them “extra profitable in transmitting and replicating than the unique virus”, in accordance with an article from Tufts College.

“Viruses usually are not technically residing issues—they invade residing cells and hijack their equipment to get vitality and replicate, and discover methods to contaminate different residing organisms and begin the method over once more,” the article mentioned. The vaccines work by stimulating your immune system to supply antibodies to combat the virus and wouldn’t trigger it to mutate.

Dr. Saralyn Mark, former senior medical advisor to The White Home underneath President Barack Obama, informed VERIFY one more reason why is as a result of the dwell virus isn’t a part of the vaccine. 

Mark informed VERIFY viruses replicate fairly properly in populations that aren’t vaccinated, and that’s the reason there may be vital dialogue about vaccine fairness throughout the globe. Wealthier nations have prepared entry to vaccine provide whereas poorer nations battle to get vaccine provides.

“It is extraordinarily necessary that we share vaccines, however we additionally preserve very sturdy public well being measures. Sadly, it has been politicized. We all know that vaccines work, actually, however we additionally know that masks work. We all know social distancing works, we all know that hand hygiene works, you recognize, air flow can work. And after we put all of it collectively, we have now a larger system to guard ourselves,” she mentioned. 

Fagbuyi informed VERIFY the most secure factor for individuals to do to cut back the chance of future variants is to follow social distancing, put on masks and get vaccinated. Additionally, he mentioned, scientists and researchers are solely getting smarter and studying extra about how the variants are created or unfold.

The vaccine is a protect to guard in opposition to the virus, not a drive discipline. He encourages people to get their booster pictures to extend their safety from the virus and its variants.

The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention has a listing of some attainable unwanted effects to the coronavirus and a listing of vaccine unwanted effects on their web site. 

The screenshots within the viral tweets had been shared from a weblog submit on Techniajz.com, a web site registered in India. The weblog submit was created on Nov. 27 and up to date on Nov. 30. 

The screenshots being extensively shared present the checklist of unwanted effects underneath the title: “Signs of New Omicron (B.1.1.529) Variant of Coronavirus” and an archive of the web page captured on Nov. 28 additionally present the title.

On Nov. 29, when VERIFY recognized and archived the web page, the brand new title solely mentioned: “Signs of Coronavirus” with extra details about the signs and context across the omicron variant. This implies the title was presumably up to date someday between Nov. 28 and Nov. 29.

The web site is registered out of Rajasthan, India, in accordance with the registration and area info. 

The writer has since added a notice to the highest of the weblog submit that claims: “It’s based mostly on information sources which can be out there within the public area and we don’t personal any rights to it. We do not declare to be consultants. We additionally replace it with time as extra info is approaching this matter.”

VERIFY reached out to the web site for remark and has not heard again. 

Extra from VERIFY: No, you may’t ‘detox’ to take away a vaccine out of your physique