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VERIFY: No, getting COVID-19 twice is not enough immunity to skip the vaccine

“You definitely need the vaccine, because it increases your antibodies and provides more durability of the antibody response," Dr. Dirk Sostman said.

HOUSTON — There are a lot of rumors about the COVID-19 vaccine. The VERIFY team has been busy looking into those claims to make sure you have the facts. We turned to Dr. Dirk Sostman, Chief Academic Officer at Houston Methodist.

CLAIM: If someone had COVID-19 twice, they have enough immunity and therefore do not need the vaccine.

False. Sostman said, “You definitely need the vaccine, because it increases your antibodies and provides more durability of the antibody response.”

CLAIM: You will feel more side effects from the first vaccine than the second.

False. Sostman said, “In general, people report that the second dose gives them a little bit more of those side effects."

CLAIM: Taking one aspirin each day can prevent vaccine blood clots.

False. Sostman said, “We don't know a lot about these vaccine blood clots, but they do appear to be an immunologic reaction. Just an aspirin a day is not going to prevent that.”

CLAIM: Naproxen, such as Aleve, lowers the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine.

False. “There's no evidence for that," he said.

CLAIM: COVID-19 vaccines cause genetic disorders by altering your DNA.

False. Sostman said, “There's no way that this can happen.”

CLAIM: Earaches, swollen gums and hives are common side effects of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

False. “These things can happen, but they're certainly not common," he said.

CLAIM: You can still spread COVID-19 even though you've had the vaccine.

Sostman said, “We don't know the answer to this one, and obviously this is tremendously important. The data that is coming out over the last couple of months seems to indicate that the vaccines prevent the asymptomatic infection and therefore we would prevent your risk of transmitting the covid. We don't know for sure yet.”

Click here to learn more about Dr. Dirk Sostman.

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