Debunking Magnet Claim
This pandemic has been nothing but a breeze with all of the mixed information, and social media at our fingertips doesn’t make it any easier on anyone. In about May 2021, social media platforms had a burst of videos and pictures claiming that magnets stuck to their vaccine site making people believe that the vaccines contained metal in them. These posts show different people with magnets stuck to their arms claiming that it was sticking there by itself after receiving the vaccination. A Tik Tok video made by “Baby Yoda” went viral after posted showing a video of the magnet giving you the perception that it was sticking to her arm (Lee,2021). After investigating this claim, it is clear to me that is a false claim being made against the COVID-19 vaccine.
To investigate this, I quickly did a Google search and had many articles popping up claiming that this is fake news. The fact checker websites all debunked this claim and states that they used tape, spit, or water to secure it to their arms. Natural oils that the skin produces, and A fact checker website (Snopes) states that they debunked this by:
a) Doing some logical thinking. Wouldn’t the skin look different and would “tent upwards” toward the magnet? Yes. (Lee, 2021)
b) You would also need a large amount of metal to get a magnet to adhere. (Lee, 2021)
Another fact checker, the Miami Herald that children can put spoons to their noses, why wouldn’t we be able to do the same thing with a magnet (Camero, 2021)? It is fascinating that a simple Google search, I was able to find a lot of resources to help me figure out the truth behind this mystery claim that was started.
According to Dr. Schaffener who is a infectious disease doctor who practices at Vanderbilt University, he states that the vaccine contains MRNA and that surrounding the MRNA may contains lipids and fats (Camero, 2021). According to the CDC website, other ingredients including in the vaccine are sucrose, sodium, potassium (CDC, 2021) The CDC states that there is no metal contained in the COVID-19 vaccine (CDC, 2021). There are about four different companies making this vaccine, and sometimes it can be confusing with all of the different information out on the web. By using the CDC website, you are able to quickly find information on all of the different vaccines offered by the different companies. Simply go to the website, and they have links to all of the information for each vaccine so you can ready about their ingredients, side effects, ect.
Social media is a completely wonderful source of entertainment. It’s also so fun and convenient to keep in touch, and interact with family, but it sometimes can be the cause of the spread of false information. When using social media, it’s important to really think about what you are readying and do your own research. Even just a simple Google search can lead you to the undeniable truth if you use the right sources.
References
Camero, Katie. (2021) “No, COVID vaccines don’t make you magnetic. Experts debunk social
media videos” https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article251955083.html
CDC. “Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html.
CDC. (2021, July 2). Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html#Appendix-C.
Lee, J. (2021, May 26). Do Videos Show Magnets Sticking to People’s Arms After COVID-19 Vaccine? Snopes.com. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/magnets-covid-vaccine/.