Fact Check: Can Vaccine Make You Test COVID-19 Positive?

With the COVID-19 vaccination going in full swing, there are questions about whether people can test positive after taking a vaccine jab.

The short answer is ‘No’.

The antigen or RT-PCR tests look for active diseases and not antibodies. WHO and other experts confirm this.

If a person tests positive after taking the vaccine, he or she is positive for the disease and has been infected before or during taking the vaccine. It has nothing to do with the vaccination. The person has to take precautions and get treated for the disease.

It is important to watch out for side-effects of vaccines which can be similar to COVID-19 disease symptoms as well. Fever, chills, muscle pain, arm pain, fatigue, and headaches are common to both. It is better to remain careful. If the symptoms last longer than 72 hours, it is better to get tested. Loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, cough are not side-effects of vaccine.

The bottom line is, you can’t test positive because of the vaccine.

After taking the vaccine, it takes two-three weeks for antibodies to form. An antibody test can confirm this.