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Unsure about COVID-19 vaccine safety? Here’s what the science says.

Staff photo by Troy Stolt / A syringe containing a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is seen during vaccination hours at the Meigs County EMA headquarters on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.
Staff photo by Troy Stolt / A syringe containing a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is seen during vaccination hours at the Meigs County EMA headquarters on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. Staff photo by Troy Stolt / A syringe containing a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is seen during vaccination hours at the Meigs County EMA headquarters on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.

By Elizabeth Fite 5 min read

Whether you’re worried about getting a COVID-19 vaccine or are already inoculated and want to help sway your hesitant friends and family, it may help to know the science behind some common vaccine fears and misconceptions.

Daniel Salmon is the director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, where his research focuses on vaccine safety and factors that influence vaccine acceptance.

The institute’s website, vaccinesafety.edu, centers on providing objective, up-to-date information on vaccine safety. However, Salmon acknowledged that it’s been a challenge combating the misinformation that’s helping to fuel COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.

(READ MORE: Tennessee’s low COVID-19 vaccination rate makes herd immunity less attainable; here’s why that matters)

“It’s really frustrating, because here we have these great vaccines, and we’re having real problems with getting enough people to get it – especially in some regions,” Salmon said.