Search Results for coronavirus

COVID-19 vaccine boosters reduce the risk of infection and hospitalization; they don’t increase the risk, contrary to claims of vaccines’ “negative efficacy”

Multiple studies show that COVID-19 vaccines protect against severe illness and death. The vaccines also reduce a person’s likelihood of infection, although they are less effective against infection with the more transmissible Omicron subvariants than with previous variants, and this protection wanes over time. Booster doses increase vaccine protection against both infection and severe COVID-19. Yet, Omicron-specific vaccine formulations may be needed to prevent emerging variants from spreading within the population.

Scientific studies show that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine reduces transmission; claim by Rob Roos is misleading

COVID-19 vaccines remain highly effective at reducing the risk of severe disease and death. Studies showed that the vaccines are also effective at reducing virus transmission, although this ability has waned in the face of virus variants that emerged later. Most vaccines predating the COVID-19 vaccines—like the pertussis and rotavirus vaccines—don’t prevent transmission but nevertheless produce significant public health benefits, by reducing infection and severe disease in the community. Scientific evidence supports getting vaccinated to protect oneself as well as others.

Analysis by Florida Department of Health about COVID-19 mRNA vaccines contains multiple methodological problems

Much larger studies have found that the benefits of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines continue to outweigh the risks, even in people at the highest risk of post-vaccine myocarditis. The analysis by the Florida Department of Health, used to support the guidance recommending against men aged 18 to 39 getting the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, is limited in ways that make it unreliable as evidence. The recommendation is based on a comparatively small number of deaths that could produce a statistical fluke and the study design used isn’t suitable for studying death as an adverse event in the first place.

Charlie Kirk’s video listing reasons to oppose COVID-19 vaccines contains multiple incorrect, misleading, and unsupported statements

The U.S. Vaccine Adverse Reporting System (VAERS) serves as a warning system for potential side effects of vaccination. However, VAERS reports contain unverified information and, on their own, can’t demonstrate a causal link between the vaccine and the adverse event. Systematic analyses of safety surveillance data from millions of people show that the COVID-19 vaccines have an excellent safety profile and are highly effective at preventing severe COVID-19 and death.

Claim that hydroxychloroquine is an effective early treatment for COVID-19 isn’t supported by evidence from clinical trials

The antimalarial hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was one of the drugs investigated as a potential COVID-19 treatment in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Large clinical trials with thousands of study participants eventually showed it provided no benefit to hospitalized COVID-19 patients. There are no similarly large trials evaluating the effect of early treatment with HCQ, although published results from smaller clinical trials show that HCQ didn’t provide significant benefits for outpatients compared with placebo.

COVID-19 vaccines provide important benefits; SSRN preprint didn’t find COVID-19 vaccines to be “98 times worse” than the virus

COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be highly effective at protecting people from severe disease and death, and they can also reduce one’s chances of developing long COVID. While previous infection confers some degree of protective immunity, infection-induced immunity is unpredictable due to many variables that aren’t within our control, such as disease severity. Vaccination remains the safer and more reliable means of inducing protection against COVID-19.

The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective; claim that they have caused an “international medical crisis” is baseless

Scientific evidence from clinical trials and safety monitoring indicate that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. In the first year of the COVID-19 vaccine campaign, these vaccines were estimated to have prevented 19.8 million deaths due to COVID-19. There is no evidence that these vaccines have caused a rise in mortality or sudden deaths, and studies have shown that the vaccines don’t increase the risk of negative pregnancy outcomes. The claim that the COVID-19 vaccines have caused an international medical crisis is baseless.

Denmark didn’t ban COVID-19 vaccines for people under 50

COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at reducing a person’s risk of developing severe COVID-19 and death. More than 80% of Denmark’s population were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by April 2022. Booster doses are now being offered to groups with a high risk of developing severe COVID-19. This will enhance protection against severe disease and death in the most vulnerable, as a large wave of infections are expected in the autumn and winter.

Mike Adams’ flawed analysis of a clot sent by embalmer Richard Hirschman doesn’t demonstrate any link between blood clots and COVID-19 vaccines

The Oxford-AstraZeneca and the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been associated with very rare cases of blood clots with low platelets, a condition known as vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia. However, COVID-19 itself is much more likely to increase the risk of blood clots, particularly in patients with moderate and severe COVID-19. Furthermore, recent research indicates that this risk might remain elevated for up to six months following infection. COVID-19 vaccines are currently the best tool to prevent COVID-19-associated blood clots, as well as other cardiovascular complications.