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FACT BRIEF

Can material from COVID-19 vaccines spread from person to person by inhalation or skin contact?

By Arijeta Lajka
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COVID-19 vaccines cannot spread among people.

Social media posts claiming people can spread the vaccine are misinterpreting a COVID-19 clinical trial protocol document from vaccine developer Pfizer. 

The document, from early trials that excluded pregnant women, says vaccine exposures during pregnancy should be reported. The document defined such cases broadly to include exposures “by inhalation or skin contact.” 

Dr. Shobha Swaminathan, an associate professor of medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, said that language is “generic” for such documents.

That language can be relevant to other vaccines, including some that contain live viruses, said Dr. Justin Brandt, an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t contain live virus.

The vaccine “can only enter the human body through an administered dose,” Pfizer spokesperson Jerica Pitts told AP. 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
AP News COVID-19 vaccine does not spread by inhalation or skin contact
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
The Associated Press
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.