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FACT BRIEF

Do the COVID-19 vaccines cause some people to become magnetic?

By Beatrice Dupuy
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NO

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says COVID-19 vaccines do not contain magnetic ingredients.

Videos circulating online claimed that metal objects shown hanging on people’s bodies were the result of magnetism from COVID-19 vaccines or a microchip.

“Receiving a COVID-19 vaccine will not make you magnetic, including at the site of vaccination,” the CDC said on its website, adding that the typical dose would not be enough to create magnetism “even if the vaccine was filled with a magnetic metal.”

The CDC website lists the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine ingredients. No magnetic metals are among them.

Some people who shared the videos later said they were joking.

Dr. Christopher Gill, an infectious disease expert at the Boston University School of Public Health, said humidity or moisture could have caused the objects to stick to skin.

See a full discussion of this at The Associated Press
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines
Centers for Disease Control Appendix C: Ingredients included in COVID-19 vaccines
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.