One of the reasons for vaccine hesitancy is worries about adverse reactions.

Some people in Korea have developed various “vaccine detoxification methods,” claiming they remove or reduce the Covid-19 vaccines’ ill effects.

These controversial methods include cupping treatment, intentionally bruising the vaccine injection area before vaccination, and putting a magnet near the injection site.

Notably, cupping therapy, an ancient alternative medicine where users put special cups on their skin for a few minutes to create suction, has received the most attention among netizens as the best way to remove the vaccine. Oriental medicine clinics in Korea conventionally use the treatment to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation, and well-being.

According to local reports, the controversial therapy has spread through online communities formed by people who suffered from adverse reactions after the Covid-19 vaccination to drain out the vaccine after immunization.

“I tied my arms with a string in the car and started cupping by myself,” a netizen who allegedly tried the cupping method wrote online. “Due to the therapy, I suffered no side effects.”

However, even oriental medicine experts pointed out that the method has not been medically proved.

“Vaccine solution is not drawn out by cupping as it spreads right away,” an oriental medicine doctor said on MBC Radio’s talk show, asking to remain anonymous. “This is because the vaccine is injected into the muscle, and it begins to spread as soon as a person receives the vaccine.”

Also, as the cupping therapy is performed on the fat layer of a person’s body, it cannot remove the vaccine injected directly into the muscle, he added.

Another oriental medicine doctor also noted that contrary to the intentions of those who pursue cupping therapy as a vaccine detoxification method, it could help spread the vaccine inside the body faster.

“Cupping is a method of intentionally inflating the wound so that it can heal a little faster,” the doctor said. “As the therapy causes more blood flow to the surrounding area, it could help the body absorb the vaccine solution faster.”

The oriental doctors emphasized the need to vaccinate as soon as possible for public health, adding that performing cupping therapy without the help of specialists can cause a secondary infection.

Despite remarks from experts, the misinformation about using the cupping method as an effective remedy to avoid adverse reactions after vaccination has not subsided.

Some online communities are still recommending the method to prevent adverse reactions from Covid-19 vaccines.