Health Professionals At Work During their Shift at the ICU of Mater Dei Hospital in Belo Horizonte Amidst the Coronavirus (COVID 19) Pandemic
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There have been numerous claims on social media about the possible effects a COVID-19 vaccine would have on the human body. The claims are often misleading, with some saying the vaccines are unsafe.

The anti-vaccination movement has gained more following in recent years. Since vaccine researchers released promising results from its coronavirus vaccine trial, people who are against vaccination have shifted their focus to the virus.

Claim: COVID-19 vaccine can alter our DNA.

Carrie Madej, an osteopath, made a video claiming the coronavirus vaccines could alter the recipient's DNA. In a video that became popular on social media, she alleged the vaccines are designed to genetically modify human beings.

Additionally, Madej also claimed, without any proof, that the vaccines would "hook us all up" on an artificial intelligence interface.

The World Health Organization denounced the claims. Officials say none of the 25 different vaccine candidates can alter human DNA. They also debunked speculations that the dosages would contain technology to link recipients to an artificial intelligence interface.

The U.S.-based osteopath also claimed the vaccine trials do not follow scientific protocols to ensure its safety. BBC's online health editor Michelle Roberts responded, saying the new vaccines undergo strict safety checks before they are given approval for widespread use.

Claim: Vaccine trials "rushed into production" is unsafe.

After the research team from the University of Oxford released reports of its vaccine study, members of coronavirus-focused Facebook groups posted comments saying they did not to be "guinea pigs." Many also claimed the trials were rushed into production, making the vaccines unsafe.

Professor Andrew Pollard, the head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said their clinical trials followed a rigorous safety process despite the accelerated pace of development, BBC reports.

The protocols include submitting safety reports to regulators in the countries taking part in researching for the vaccine.

Oxford's vaccine trials had previously worked on coronavirus vaccines, giving the first two phases of its COVID-19 vaccine trials a headstart. The interest in the test also meant the team spent little time in searching for volunteers.

Thousands more are expected to take part on the third and final phase of its trial. Participants are monitored for side-effects. In the first two phases of the testing, 18 percent of the participants reportedly developed a fever, but it was easily managed by paracetamol.

Claim: The Spanish Flu was caused by vaccines.

A meme now circulates on social media platforms claiming vaccines caused the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50 million people. This is entirely false.

A vaccine did not exist at the time of the 1918 influenza. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the leading causes of death were due to one of two factors: the initial flu infection or the lungs being filled with fluids.

The specific origins of the Spanish flu outbreak are still unknown. Britain, China, France, and the United States have all been suggested as the possible birthplace of the deadly epidemic.

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