Evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines don’t increase the risk of death, contrary to claim by financier Edward Dowd

Multiple pieces of evidence show that COVID-19 vaccination doesn’t increase the risk of death. Like all medical interventions, the COVID-19 vaccines carry side effects, but most of these are mild and short-lived. Certain COVID-19 vaccines are associated with an increased risk of heart inflammation or blood clots, but these risks are smaller than those associated with COVID-19 itself.

COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of pregnancy complications; Pfizer’s clinical trial didn’t show increased rate of miscarriage in pregnant women

Pregnant women are at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 than non-pregnant women and are also at a higher risk of pregnancy complications if they get COVID-19. All available evidence, including data from clinical trials, safety monitoring, and research studies, show that COVID-19 vaccines aren’t associated with any safety issues during pregnancy. On the contrary, vaccination reduces the risk of pregnancy complications, improving the outcomes for both the mother and the baby.

Large-scale studies have found that COVID-19 vaccination doesn’t increase the risk of negative pregnancy outcomes, contrary to claim by Naomi Wolf

Pregnant women are among those at a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, which also increases the risk of pregnancy complications like early birth. Such complications could also have cascading negative effects on their babies. COVID-19 vaccination reduces the risk of severe COVID-19 in pregnant women, and therefore can reduce the risk of complications and negative outcomes in both the mother and baby.

No evidence that SARS-CoV-2 was engineered in a laboratory, contrary to claim by Li-Meng Yan

Claims that the virus SARS-CoV-2 was engineered in a laboratory haven’t been substantiated by evidence. The virus’ genome and evolutionary trajectory are consistent with those of naturally-occurring viruses. Based on the scientific evidence so far, the consensus held by experts is that the virus most likely emerged naturally, by evolving in animals before later jumping to humans (zoonosis).

COVID-19 vaccines effectively prevent severe disease; haven’t shown signs of antibody-dependent enhancement as claimed by Robert Malone

Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is a mechanism that occurs when antibodies can’t neutralize a virus but instead increase its ability to infect cells, making the disease worse. While ADE was a concern during COVID-19 vaccine development, previous knowledge allowed researchers to minimize this risk from early stages. COVID-19 vaccines haven’t shown signs of causing more severe disease in animal studies, clinical trials, nor vaccination roll-out. On the contrary, all FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe disease.

PCR tests are reliable to detect and monitor COVID-19 infections, which are real and have caused millions of deaths worldwide

COVID-19 is a real pandemic that has caused more than 545,000 excess deaths in the U.S. as of 17 June 2021. PCR tests are a very reliable tool to monitor the spread of the virus because they are highly specific for SARS-CoV-2 and detect tiny amounts of virus in infected individuals. Although no tests are 100% accurate, most positive COVID-19 PCR test results are true positives.

No evidence that coronavirus genetic sequences were fabricated, contrary to preprint by Li-Meng Yan and colleagues

There is no evidence supporting the claim by Yan et al. that genetic sequences of several coronaviruses were fabricated to support the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 arose naturally. The presence of highly similar or identical gene and protein sequences are common among organisms that are evolutionarily related to each other. Therefore, it is expected that members of the coronavirus family share similar or identical genetic or protein features. Scientific evidence supports the hypothesis that the virus arose naturally in wildlife before it crossed over to humans.

The genetic features of the virus causing COVID-19 are compatible with natural evolution, and therefore, don’t prove that the virus was constructed

Although the exact origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains unknown, previous claims that the virus contained artificial elements or that it had been patented were debunked. The virus most likely originated in nature, probably in bats, according to the genetic similarity between SARS-CoV-2 and other animal coronaviruses. Dr. Yan claims to prove that the SARS-COV-2 virus originated in a lab, but a careful analysis of her pre-print actually shows this claim is unsubstantiated.