The WFAA VERIFY team has received a lot of viewer questions about COVID-19 specifically in the past few months.
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions viewers sent to WFAA from this time period and the answers as well.
THE QUESTION
Is a two-dose vaccine shot effective after six months?
THE ANSWER
It depends. A recent study shows Pfizer's vaccine wanes after six months. Moderna said its vaccine does not. However, the announcement didn't provide details about how the research was conducted. There are ongoing studies to further determine the efficacy of COVID-19 shots past six months.
THE SOURCES
THE QUESTION
Was the Johnson & Johnson vaccine made using fetal cell lines?
THE ANSWER
For this specific vaccine, yes. Fetal cell lines from more than 50 years ago were used to manufacture and develop the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
THE SOURCES
- Dr. Mark Casanova, immediate past president of the Dallas County Medical Society
- Dr. Ashley Garling, clinical assistant professor with the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy
THE QUESTION
Does a business violate Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) by asking someone to show their vaccination card?
THE ANSWER
No, most businesses would not violate HIPAA by asking about someone's vaccination status.
THE SOURCES
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Glenn Cohen, professor at Harvard Law School.
- Kayte Spector-Bagdady, lawyer, bioethicist and associate director at University of Michigan’s Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine.
THE QUESTION
Does the COVID-19 vaccine cause infertility?
THE ANSWER
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines do not cause fertility issues in men.
THE SOURCES
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- Dr. Tia Jackson-Bey, reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist and OB-GYN at RMA of New York
RELATED: VERIFY: Yes, military service members who refuse COVID vaccine could be removed from service
THE QUESTION
Are natural antibodies from a COVID-19 infection more effective than getting a vaccine?
THE ANSWER
No. While catching COVID-19 does provide some protection, a recent CDC study shows people who are unvaccinated and have had the virus are more than twice as likely to get the virus again compared to people who were fully vaccinated and contracted COVID-19.
THE SOURCES
THE QUESTION
Does the CDC know who has been vaccinated?
THE ANSWER
No. The data the CDC collects is deidentified, meaning it doesn't specify who has been vaccinated.
THE SOURCES
THE QUESTION
Could a COVID-19 mutation potentially make the vaccine useless?
THE ANSWER
No. As of what we know now, mutations have the potential to make the vaccines less effective but not useless.
THE SOURCES
THE QUESTION
Does hydroxychloroquine help patients hospitalized with COVID-19?
THE ANSWER
No. Hydroxychloroquine does not provide any medical benefit to hospitalized patients with COVID-19, based on National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical research trials.
THE SOURCES
THE QUESTION
If I am fully vaccinated and then also got sick with COVID-19, can I catch the virus again?
THE ANSWER
Yes. While you have a much lower probability of being reinfected if you are vaccinated for COVID-19, there still is a chance you could catch it again, according to the CDC. In most cases with vaccinated people, symptoms will be less severe.
THE SOURCES
THE QUESTION
Do blood donations diminish the effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?
THE ANSWER
No. Since your body is constantly creating antibodies and is well able to replete them, donating blood does not impact the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine shot.
THE SOURCES
- Dr. John Wherry, Chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology
- Dr. Karen Roush, Vice Chairman of the Department of Pathology for the Methodist Health System
THE QUESTION
Are national health leaders still planning to get full approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the COVID-19 vaccine?
THE ANSWER
Yes. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government's infectious disease expert, he said he expects the shot to have full approval later in August.
THE SOURCES
THE QUESTION
Can a private business make employees get the COVID-19 vaccine?
THE ANSWER
Yes. It is legal for an employer to require employees to get a vaccine, according to legal experts. However, a worker who had adverse effects to a COVID-19 vaccine mandated by their employer can file a workers' compensations claim.
THE SOURCES
- Sara Harris, associate with Jackson Walker in Dallas
- Rogge Dunn, labor attorney with Rogge Dunn Group of Dallas
- Joshua Higgins, business unit leader and partner at Kelley Kronenberg.
- Sarah Mugmon, attorney with Lipp Law.
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
THE QUESTION
Can health officials determine if a COVID-19 case is an alpha variant or delta variant?
THE ANSWER
As of right now, no. Health officials say that information is not readily available, and current state tests used to determine if a person has COVID-19 do not determine which variant he or she has.
THE SOURCES
THE QUESTION
If it's my second time getting COVID-19, will I have the same experience?
THE ANSWER
The answer isn't clear, at this point. While rare, the symptoms for people re-infected have been anywhere from milder to similar to more serious.