KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As COVID-19 vaccines start being distributed across Tennessee, a lot of misinformation is being posted online about them.
The University of Tennessee Medical Center wanted to help answer uncertainties about those vaccines, so they launched a Myth or Fact series. They said that they will continue to share information from the Centers for Disease Control to debunk common myths about the vaccine.
In the first post of the series, they debunked the myth that the COVID-19 vaccine includes the live virus and would cause people to contract the coronavirus.
They specified that the vaccines do not contain the coronavirus and that it is not possible to get COVID-19 from the vaccine. The mRNA vaccine causes cells to produce the proteins that signify the presence of the coronavirus with a "messenger RNA" code, without the virus ever actually being present.
Once the immune system responds to these proteins, it will learn how to detect them and protect the body in the future, without the consequences of contracting COVID-19.
Officials also directed people to a FAQ list on the UT Medical Center's website, where people can find answers from experts for many common questions.