COVID Vaccine: Can It Cause Infertility? Does it Have Side-effect? Govt Busts Myths About Vaccination

Busting myths, the Union Health Minister answered questions on the side-effects of the vaccine and whether one can be infected with Covid as well as the effect of vaccination on the fertility of beneficiaries.

New Delhi: Two days ahead of India’s massive vaccination drive that will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Thursday took to Twitter to bust some myths surrounding vaccination.

The massive vaccine drive will be the world’s largest vaccination programme covering the entire length and breadth of the country and all preparations are in place to initiate the programme on the principles of ‘Jan Bhagidari’.

Busting myths, the Union Health Minister answered questions on the side-effects of the vaccine and whether one can be infected with Covid as well as the effect of vaccination on the fertility of beneficiaries.

1) Do Covid-19 vaccines have side-effect?

As it is true for many other vaccines, some individuals can have side-effects such as mild fever and pain at the site of injection and body ache. However, these side-effects are temporary and should go away on their own after some time. These temporary side effects ever should not be confused as having contracted Covid-19.

After being administered #COVID19Vaccine, some individuals may have side effects like mild fever, pain at injection site & bodyache. This is similar to the side effects that occur post some other vaccines.

These are expected to go away on their own after some time. #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/VCnJzXu70S

— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) January 14, 2021

2) Can one catch Covid-19 from the vaccine?

The health minister made it clear that no one will contract Covid-19 because they have been inoculated with a vaccine. “You cannot contract #COVID19 because you have been inoculated with a #COVID19Vaccine Temporary side effects such as mild fever should not be confused as having contracted #COVID,” the minister said in another tweet.

You cannot contract #COVID19 because you have been inoculated with a #COVID19Vaccine

Temporary side effects such as mild fever should not be confused as having contracted #COVID.#StayInformedStaySafe @PMOIndia @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/ZkZgLU8tpy

— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) January 14, 2021

3) Can Covid-19 vaccine cause infertility in men and women?

To this question, the health minister said that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that the Covid vaccine could cause infertility in either men or women. He said infertility is not known to occur as a result of Covid-19 disease either. “Please trust only official channels of communication of the government to get correct information about Covid-19. Kindly do not pay heed to such rumours or information from unverified sources,” he added.

There is no scientific evidence to suggest that #COVIDVaccine could cause infertility in either men or women. Kindly do not pay heed to such rumours or information from unverified sources.#StayInformedStaySafe @PMOIndia @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/6ii2EFgpB0

— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) January 14, 2021

A total of 3,006 session sites across all states and UTs will be virtually connected during the launch and around 100 beneficiaries will be vaccinated at each session site on the first day. Eventually, India aims to inoculate 30 crore essential workers in the first phase of vaccination.