Claims online about the influenza vaccine possibly causing false positives on COVID-19 tests have had many viewers asking VERIFY to investigate whether or not that's true.
THE QUESTION:
Can the flu shot cause you to inadvertently test positive for COVID-19?
THE ANSWER:
No, the flu shot won't make you test positive for COVID-19. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration say that flu vaccines contain no type of coronavirus, like the one that causes COVID-19.
According to the CDC, flu vaccines come from the influenza virus, and are produced from an inactivated one to create immunity.
The CDC even has a specific section on its website about "Misconceptions about Seasonal Flu and Flu Vaccines." The CDC noted that flu shots are made in two ways, with flu viruses that have been "inactivated" or killed and aren't infectious, or using only one gene from a flu virus, as opposed to the full virus, to create an immune response without causing infection. The CDC also said flu vaccines cannot cause flu illness.
SARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19, is a coronavirus, not an influenza virus, which means getting a flu vaccine will not cause you to test positive for coronavirus.
Something you’d like VERIFIED? Click here to submit your story.