CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With a new COVID-19 booster, there are new questions about the protection it provides and who should get their shot and when.
The newest booster was created to fight the omicron variant of COVID-19. The BA.5 subvariant of omicron, which remains the most dominant in the U.S., is more resistant to antibody protection from vaccines and prior infection than earlier strains.
This information has left many people wondering if the new COVID-19 booster will protect them from omicron and its subvariants, like BA.5. Some people are also concerned that the new booster could make them test positive for the virus.
THE QUESTION
Can the new booster make you test positive for COVID-19?
OUR SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, the new COVID-19 booster will not make you test positive for COVID-19.
WHAT WE FOUND
"The COVID vaccine and the COVID booster do not cause a person to a falsely positive test with infection for COVID-19," Goldstein said.
Robinson explained that the new booster isn't made with a live virus.
"It does not give you an actual infection or mild infection or anything like that," Robinson said. "There are some vaccines that are made that way."
The CDC shows the booster is an mRNA vaccine. mRNA vaccines are created to teach cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response inside our bodies.
"There are some antibody testing that can test positive, but that’s what we want," Robinson said. "We want an antibody response showing that it is able to handle the infection should you be exposed to it."
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
VERIFY is dedicated to helping the public distinguish between true and false information. The VERIFY team, with help from questions submitted by the audience, tracks the spread of stories or claims that need clarification or correction. Have something you want VERIFIED? Text us at 704-329-3600 or visit VERIFY.