UAE: Does Covid-19 vaccine affect PCR test results?

Dubai - This and other questions answered as part of Dubai Health Authority’s new drive.

A conspiracy theory floating on the Internet claims that taking a Covid-19 vaccine makes the recipient test positive for the coronavirus.

However, this is not true, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has stressed.

In a tweet issued recently as part of the #DHAanswers series, the authority said there was no link between the Covid-19 vaccine and results of a PCR test.

“Please also be reassured that the vaccine does not cause Covid-19,” the DHA added.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also explained that there is no link between the vaccine and PCR test results.

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In its FAQ on the vaccine, the WHO said the vaccine won’t result in a positive test result for PCR or antigen laboratory test. “This is because the tests check for active disease and not whether an individual is immune or not.”

However, because the vaccine prompts an immune response, it may be possible to test positive in an antibody (serology) test, the WHO added.

Here are some other questions the DHA has answered as part of its #DHAanswers series: