MAGIC VALLEY — With a new vaccine comes new myths health officials have had to refute, and they say this is not the first time they have had to deal with rumors surrounding a vaccine. The South Central Public Health District says they have heard several ethical concerns surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine, with some people believing the vaccine contains fetal cells.
"The problem with these myths is that there is absolutely no evidence of it. It's all based on anecdotal evidence. Somebody said this, and I trust that person. There's no evidence to dispute. There is absolutely no evidence of these myths," Brianna Bodily, Public Information Officer for the South Central Public Health District, said.
Health officials say some of these myths stem from people believing a vaccine was released to the public too soon, and one St. Luke's doctor says that's not the case.
"Even as rushed as it seems like this vaccine was to market, it has gone through essentially the normal amount of trials. So within a week or two of the virus being recognized, they had already started working on this vaccine," Joshua Kern, Vice president of medical affairs and Medical Doctor for St. Luke's Magic Valley, said.
The South Central Public Health District tells us some of the people who believe the vaccine was released too soon think health officials released and created the vaccine to have things injected into their bodies to trace their whereabouts.
"There's a lot of people out there who are trying to build a following or even make money off of fear. The health district and public health, in general, are not interested in that. We don't want you to be afraid. We want to help you stay healthy. That's our entire goal. That's all we care about doing," Bodily said.
Health officials encourage the public to research things they may see online or through other sources before believing anything they read.
"Consider where you are getting that information. Is it a reputable source? Does it have any fact behind it that can prove that what they are saying is actually true?" Bodily said.
