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The benefits of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for children outweigh the low risks, unlike what Robert Malone claimed

The first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11 years was authorized by the U.S. FDA on 29 October 2021 following the confirmation of its safety and efficacy for that population. There are a number of benefits, both for the child and the child’s community, when kids get vaccinated. The spike protein in the COVID-19 vaccines isn’t toxic, and getting COVID-19 is not a better strategy for achieving COVID-19 immunity.

Clip of Anthony Fauci discussing potential vaccine safety concerns is from March 2020; current scientific evidence shows COVID-19 vaccines reduce risk of infection and serious illness

In a March 2020 Facebook Live, Anthony Fauci, the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, spoke about the importance of safety trials in vaccine development, especially making sure any future COVID-19 vaccines did not make infection worse. The statement was made nine months before the first COVID-19 vaccine was authorized by the FDA and doesn’t refer to current authorized and approved COVID-19 vaccines. It also doesn’t reflect the amount of knowledge that scientists have gained since that time demonstrating the vaccines’ safety and effectiveness. Vaccinated people are actually less likely to be infected or develop severe COVID-19, which is the opposite of what we would expect if the vaccines caused ADE.

Unsupported claim about COVID-19 vaccines, anti-spike antibodies, and myocarditis misrepresented conclusions from a New England Journal of Medicine article

Both SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccines induce the body to produce antibodies against the spike protein carried by the virus. In addition, the body may also produce antibodies against other antibodies—a certain group of such antibodies are called anti-idiotypic antibodies. Such antibodies could potentially bind to antibodies against the spike protein. However, it is still unknown whether anti-idiotypic antibodies that bind to antibodies against the spike protein are actually produced in the body, and if so, whether they have any consequences on health.

Misleading claims linking the spread of Omicron variant to vaccinated people rely on partial data and are unsubstantiated

The new Omicron variant identified in Botswana and South Africa contains more mutations than any previous variant. However, the circumstances that led this variant to accumulate so many mutations and their effect on contagiousness, vaccine effectiveness, and disease severity remain unknown. Researchers worldwide are trying to answer these questions to evaluate how much of a threat the new variant actually poses.

Pathogens can evolve to be more virulent over time, contrary to nutritionist’s claim

Virulence is broadly defined as the ability of a disease-causing microorganism (pathogen) to damage a host. Pathogens don’t always evolve to become less dangerous. There are instances where pathogens retain their virulence over time, or even become more virulent. Predicting the evolutionary path of a pathogen is complex and depends not only on its lethality and transmissibility, but also other factors, such as its incubation period and the level of preexisting immunity in a population.

No evidence that the low COVID-19 case rate in Sweden is due to herd immunity; vaccines don’t lead to new variants of SARS-CoV-2

Although Sweden started its COVID-19 vaccination campaign later than other countries, as of November 2021, its vaccine coverage is similar to that of the U.S. and the U.K. There is no evidence that the low number of COVID-19 cases in Sweden is due to herd immunity rather than vaccination, which scientific evidence has shown to reduce COVID-19 transmission. There is no evidence supporting the claim that COVID-19 vaccines lead to more dangerous variants. The evidence from clinical trials and the monitoring of vaccination campaigns show that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at reducing COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.

Natural News, others jump to conclusions unsupported by the study they cite to claim COVID-19 vaccines destroy the immune system and cause cancer

A study published in October 2021 examined how high levels of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein could affect the process of DNA damage repair in cells growing in the lab. Because the mechanism for DNA damage repair is involved in the production of antibodies, some claimed that the study showed spike protein in the COVID-19 vaccines could damage the immune system and lead to cancer. However, these claims are unfounded, as they fail to account for the fact that the study was conducted in vitro, not in people. While in vitro research provides a valuable foundation for scientific exploration, more research is needed to determine if the results from the experiment accurately reflect what happens in infected or vaccinated persons.

Claim that the COVID-19 vaccine is riskier than the disease for children is based on an economist’s incorrect calculation of the metric “number needed to vaccinate”

The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends that children get vaccinated against COVID-19 if they’re eligible. While children do face a lower risk of illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 compared to adults, overall these risks still exceed the risks posed by the COVID-19 vaccine. The scientific evidence indicates that it is safer for children to get vaccinated than to get COVID-19.

Contrary to claim in Becker News article, not all cases of infection lead to immunity; falsely claims that most COVID-19 deaths weren’t caused by COVID-19 but by comorbidities

Previous infection can provide some protection from future infection. However, this protection isn’t consistent due to several factors, such as waning immunity and virus variants. COVID-19 deaths are caused by COVID-19, even if a person had comorbidities. Vaccine-induced immunity is highly effective against severe disease and hospitalization, and is safer than infection-induced immunity.