If you spend a good amount of time online, you’ve probably heard of the latest conspiracy myth : when you get vaccinated, your arm instantly becomes magnetic. The rumour spread on social media through videos showing vaccinated people sticking all sorts of objects to their arms: coins, cellphones, refrigerator magnets… This type of video was mostly posted on tiktok under the name “Magnet Challenge“. Obviously, this news magnified some conspiracy fairytales that already existed, particularly the fact that the vaccine shots contain microchips or other metals used by the government to track people.
So no, covid vaccines will not make your arm magnetic. Most of the videos posted on social media are actually fake. Experts suggest several explanations: glue residue that was on the bandage put on after the injection, glue or water put on purpose, double-sided tape, etc. Many possibilities are conceivable, but one thing we know for sure is that the covid vaccines on the market do not contain any metals that can create an electromagnetic field. You can actually find all the ingredients present in the vaccine here (page 8-9). Moreover, as many scientists explain, the typical dose for these vaccines is less than a milliliter, which means that even if they were filled with a magnetic metal, the dose would not be enough for magnets to be attracted to your vaccination site.
Emma Suleiman
ReclaimTheFacts
