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Baseless claim that COVID-19 vaccines killed more than 200,000 comes from flawed BMC Infectious Diseases study

Despite claims made on social media, a study published by the peer-reviewed journal BMC Infectious Diseases doesn’t actually provide the necessary scientific evidence for its claim that nearly 300,000 people died from COVID-19 vaccines. This estimate is based on a survey of about 2,800 people, but doesn’t involve verifying the accuracy of survey responses by examining medical records. As such, the study doesn’t offer a reliable estimate of deaths related to the COVID-19 vaccines.

Inhaling hydrogen peroxide to counter pathogens is dangerous

Hydrogen peroxide’s antimicrobial activity can be used to disinfect inanimate surfaces and sanitize tools, but it should not be nebulized. Nebulizing transforms a liquid medicine into a mist that can be inhaled. Inhaling hydrogen peroxide can cause respiratory irritation and even severe lung complications.

Possible increases in cancer rates and lower life expectancy in 2021 are primarily driven by effects of COVID-19, not vaccination

On 6 January 2023, Children’s Health Defense published an article by Joseph Mercola claiming that “Cancer rates have increased since the introduction of the COVID-19 shots” and that “COVID-19 boosters may be causing aggressive metastatic cancers”. According to the social media analytics tool Buzzsumo, the article received more than 15,000 engagements on social media platforms, … Continued

Excess deaths in the U.K. remain below the pandemic peak and aren’t linked to COVID-19 vaccines

Excess deaths in the U.K. remain well below the peaks during the COVID-19 pandemic before the vaccines were widely available. It is difficult to precisely define the causes of the recent rise in deaths, however pressure on health services and delays in treatment due to the pandemic are significant factors. The COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be very safe, only causing heart inflammation in extremely rare cases.

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.

Video by John Campbell comparing historical and COVID-19 vaccines misleads on vaccine safety

Multiple peer-reviewed published studies have shown that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh its risks. Benefits from vaccination take longer to appear compared to harms, which usually appear within the first six weeks following vaccination. Consequently, studies that aim to reliably compare the risks and benefits of vaccination require time to obtain a complete picture.

Medical exemptions to COVID-19 vaccines are granted for contraindications, not including history of blood clots or adverse reaction to prior vaccine

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective against severe illness and death. People who have contraindications to COVID-19 vaccines can get a medical exemption. However, an adverse reaction to a previous vaccine and a history of blood clots aren’t, on their own, reasons not to vaccinate. On the contrary, COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for people with a history of blood clots, as they are at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 and related complications, including blood clotting.

Contrary to viral Instagram videos, COVID-19 vaccines remain highly effective against severe disease

When interpreting and comparing vaccine effectiveness, it’s important to ensure that we compare like with like. For example, vaccine effectiveness against infection isn’t comparable to that against severe disease. Vaccine effectiveness isn’t static and depends on many factors. For instance, immunity can wane over time, therefore a study about vaccine effectiveness performed weeks post-vaccination isn’t representative of what happens months post-vaccination. The evolution of newer, more infectious variants can also render vaccines less effective against infection. However, the COVID-19 vaccines remain highly protective against severe disease.