Introduction A study by Hanna et al. published in September 2023 reported the presence of mRNA from COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in the breast milk of some lactating women[1]. This study gave rise to many social media posts questioning whether vaccine mRNA in breast milk would lead to adverse health effects in breastfeeding babies. Because pregnant … Continued
N-acetylcysteine is the precursor to glutathione, an antioxidant that is naturally produced in the body and is involved in detoxification within the liver. It’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose and excessive mucus production. NAC is of great interest to researchers exploring potential treatments for various medical conditions. But claims portraying NAC as a panacea should be met with skepticism given limited clinical evidence.
The COVID-19 vaccines were initially issued in the U.S. under Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA, which requires every serious adverse event that occurred post-COVID-19 vaccination to be reported, regardless of whether healthcare providers believe the vaccine was the cause. This led to an increase in the number of deaths reported in VAERS following the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines in 2021. However, studies have shown that vaccinated people don’t experience a higher risk of mortality compared to unvaccinated people.
Bivalent boosters were specifically designed to offer better protection against more recent variants of SARS-CoV-2, such as Omicron and its sub-variants. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of severe disease or hospitalization against more recent variants like XBB.1.5, albeit to a lesser extent that earlier variants like BA.4/5. More data are still needed to improve the reliability of current vaccine effectiveness estimates.
Many large, reliable studies have found that vaccinated children aren’t more likely to experience poorer health compared to unvaccinated children. No vaccine works 100% of the time, but even though the COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t prevent 100% of negative outcomes, they have been shown to be highly effective at protecting people from severe disease and death.
COVID-19 vaccines are effective against severe disease. The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends that children and adolescents aged six months and above receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Some research suggests that COVID-19 vaccination may temporarily change how the immune system reacts to infection from pathogens other than the virus SARS-CoV-2. However, the study didn’t show that vaccinated children have weaker immunity.
Studies have found that pregnant women who get COVID-19 are more likely to develop complications and carry a higher risk of death. Multiple scientific studies have shown that serious side effects following COVID-19 vaccination are rare and the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks. There’s currently no evidence that getting a COVID-19 vaccine together with another vaccine, like the flu vaccine, leads to serious adverse outcomes.
Health authorities use various complementary vaccine safety monitoring systems to ensure vaccines are safe. In May 2023, the CDC paused its app-based monitoring system v-safe. However, other systems, including VAERS, are still operational. Health authorities are still collecting data on vaccine safety.
Stark differences in COVID-19 mortality in the U.S. have been observed across racial lines, with the White population generally experiencing a lower mortality rate relative to other racial groups. Differences in access to healthcare, chronic disease burden, and socioeconomic status are some of the likely contributing factors. However, this mortality gap narrowed later during the pandemic. Various reasons have been proposed to explain this, such as ideologically and politically-rooted differences in people’s decision to follow public health recommendations.
There have been many misleading claims about ivermectin’s effectiveness as a COVID-19 treatment. While recognized for its efficacy against parasites, ivermectin’s antiviral effects remain uncertain, and clinical trials have not shown conclusive benefits for COVID-19. Health authorities caution against its use for COVID-19 due to potential side effects and a lack of reliable supporting evidence. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration hasn’t changed its stance, contrary to recent social media posts incorrectly claiming otherwise. The agency maintains its position that ivermectin is not approved for COVID-19 prevention or treatment.
