Lexington doctor weighs in on spread of COVID vaccine misinformation

Social media posts making false claims have gone viral on apps like TikTok.
LEXINGTON DOCTOR WEIGHS IN ON COVID VACCINE MISINFORMATION
Published: Jan. 29, 2023 at 2:20 PM EST

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Despite posts making the rounds on social media apps like TikTok claiming that the COVID vaccine has caused seizures or spasms, these are not listed as either common or adverse side effects of the vaccine according to the CDC.

“Some of the problem is social media. They put a lot of stuff out there; some of it’s true, some of it’s not, but a lot of it can just stoke fears and worry about concern about the safety of vaccines,” said Dr. Jeff Foxx. “We do give a lot of vaccines, and I’ve not seen any really bad adverse effects.”

Dr. Foxx says there are some common side effects you may see such as a sore arm, aching, a low-grade fever, or chills.

“Those are very limited. They’re treated easily with Tylenol and fluids and time. They usually don’t last more than 24-48 hours,” said Dr. Foxx.

While there are some more severe potential side effects, Dr. Foxx says they’re very rare. they include an increased risk of stroke, heart inflammation, and allergic reactions.

“If you take the risk of that or the risk of dying let’s say from covid, the risk of dying from covid is way way higher than you having one of those reactions and those reactions are very very rare,” said Dr. Foxx.

If you have concerns about the covid vaccine, Dr. Foxx recommends reaching out to your doctor.

“Not to downplay anybody’s concern, and if you have a concern you should talk to your physician, but those vaccines the bottom line is they’re safe, they’re effective, they protect you, and they protect the people around you and will help us to get out of this pandemic and continue to be healthy hopefully years down the road,” said Dr. Foxx.