Can a flu vaccine lead to a false positive COVID-19 test?

A flu vaccine cannot lead to a false positive COVID-19 test. COVID-19 tests are specifically designed to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causative agent of COVID-19.

Rashid Buttar, a controversial osteopath claims that everyone who has had a flu vaccine will test positive for COVID-19. He believes that there would be some kind of cross-reaction between the antigens of COVID-19 and the antibodies against flu. This reasoning is incorrect. The current PCR test for COVID-19 detects the DNA of the virus. These tests have been very well validated to ensure that the test does indeed detect the DNA of COVID-19 and not of a similar coronavirus.

When vaccinated against flu, proteins from an influenza virus are injected. The body will then produce antibodies against this influenza virus. It is more than unlikely that a test that is supposed to detect DNA from one virus would test positive against antibodies from another virus.

The flu vaccine cannot cause a false positive result on COVID-19 tests. These tests are designed to very specifically identify SARS-CoV-2. It is important to consider both vaccines: the flu vaccine to prevent influenza and the COVID-19 vaccine to protect against COVID-19.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2024-02-01 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2024