Question

If I get the vaccination, will I become a false positive for the COVID-19 testing (e.g., PCR test, antigen test or antibody test)?

Answered by infectious diseases expert Angela Hewlett, MD, MS

Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine will not affect the PCR or antigen test results since these tests check for active disease, not immunity. There is no virus present in the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccine is intended to induce an immune response, so the serology test (antibody test) may be positive in someone who has been vaccinated.