SUMMARY Three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have acquired ample evidence showing that COVID-19 vaccines are safe. While COVID-19 vaccines are associated with some serious effects like myocarditis, such cases are rare and much less likely to occur after vaccination than after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nevertheless, anecdotes and stories of ill health … Continued
Ventilators were commonly deployed for critically ill COVID-19 patients who developed trouble breathing. The way ventilators were used initially during the pandemic was based on doctors’ experiences of treating other, known types of pneumonia. Over time, as doctors gained a better understanding of COVID-19, their approach to ventilator use also evolved. While it is probable that ventilators were used on some patients who might not have needed it in the end, the claim that ventilators, not COVID-19, were responsible for killing the majority of COVID-19 patients isn’t substantiated by evidence.
Multiple scientific studies show that COVID-19 vaccines effectively reduce the risk of severe disease and death. Observations from a Swiss team using a more sensitive detection protocols revealed that there are cases of mild myocarditis that previously went undetected owing to the absence of severe symptoms. The risk of myocarditis requiring medical attention is higher during COVID-19 than after vaccination with mRNA vaccines.
Scientific evidence from clinical trials and safety monitoring indicate that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. While severe reactions to the vaccine can occur, they are rare, and the most common side effects of vaccination are mild and go away within a few days. All available evidence indicates that being vaccinated is safer than not being vaccinated.
The spike protein is a vital component for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to infect cells. As it is situated on the virus’s surface, it is an easy target for the immune system to recognize. The COVID-19 vaccines cause the body to produce a small amount of spike protein, which is cleared within days, to prompt an immune response. There is no evidence that the spike protein causes damage to cells at these levels, and there is no evidence that “detox” diets will alter this process. The risks of developing serious complications like blood clots or lung damage are far higher after severe COVID-19 than after a vaccine; in fact, vaccination helps to reduce this risk instead.
mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are associated with rare cases of typically mild inflammation of the heart muscle. However, this risk is low compared to the risk of cardiac complications that COVID-19 itself carries. By reducing the likelihood of infection and preventing severe COVID-19, vaccination protects against the many problems associated with the disease, including myocarditis.
Pfizer’s document released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration contains information about adverse events that occurred following vaccination. Adverse events are health problems that occur after vaccination but aren’t necessarily caused by the vaccine. Therefore, these reports don’t establish a causal relationship between the events and the vaccine. These reports alone thus are insufficient to demonstrate that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine caused any new side effects or is unsafe.
COVID-19 vaccines are proven to be very safe and effective at preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. Although certain COVID-19 vaccines are associated with a slightly increased risk of blood clotting or heart inflammation, COVID-19 itself is associated with a higher rate of these and other conditions. Overall, scientific evidence indicates that the benefits of vaccines largely outweigh their risks.
The highly contagious Omicron variant has led to record numbers of COVID-19 cases worldwide. Although COVID-19 vaccines are much less effective at preventing infection by this variant compared to previous ones, they remain effective against severe illness and death. Current data indicates that a booster dose enhances this protection. Safety data shows that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines far outweigh their known and potential risks.
The spread of the Delta variant has caused new COVID-19 surges in many countries, including Israel. Data from Israel indicates that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has a lower effectiveness (64%) against infection and symptomatic illness with this variant, but the vaccine remains highly effective at preventing 93% of serious illnesses. Hence, Israel is now seeing fewer COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths compared to previous waves. This shows that COVID-19 vaccines are a safer way of acquiring immunity than infection and effectively protect people from illness and death.
