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Robert Malone’s statements on The Dana Show about vaccine safety and virus variants are inaccurate and unsupported

All approved and authorized COVID-19 vaccines are very safe and highly effective at preventing severe disease and death. Although some variants might partially evade vaccine protection, booster doses have proven effective at preventing hospitalization and death due to viral variants, including Omicron. No evidence so far indicates that COVID-19 vaccination has played a fundamental role in the evolution of variants that can evade immunity, at least no more than infection.

Contrary to claim in Washington Times op-ed, COVID-19 shots meet the definition of a vaccine

The COVID-19 vaccines safely prompt an immune response that protects individuals from both infection, and to a greater extent, severe COVID-19 disease, even against new variants like Omicron. These are all hallmarks of a vaccine, which means that the COVID-19 vaccines are indeed vaccines. Additionally, the majority of vaccines routinely used, such as the rotavirus and polio vaccines, don’t prevent 100% of infections. In spite of this, these vaccines still effectively reduce the burden of infectious diseases on the world’s population.

Testing in general reveals infections, it doesn’t create them; COVID-19 isn’t the same as the common cold

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to higher than expected deaths in many countries around the world and places a significant burden on healthcare systems. Many hospitals have experienced insufficient capacity in intensive care units, and some have had to cancel surgeries and turn away patients. COVID-19 testing is an invaluable tool that enables us to detect and isolate infected people, thus helping to reduce the spread of the virus.

Contrary to Peter McCullough’s claim, getting vaccinated is safer than getting COVID-19, in spite of rare cases of myocarditis

Although cases of myocarditis have been reported following mRNA vaccination against COVID-19, the cases are rare, usually mild and patients rapidly recover. In contrast, COVID-19 is associated with a higher rate of myocarditis with potential risks of clinical complications. Overall, based on all scientific evidence available, the benefits of vaccines largely outweigh their risks.

Joe Rogan interview with Peter McCullough contains multiple false and unsubstantiated claims about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines

To date, more than 241 million people in the U.S. have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Clinical trials as well as the safety monitoring of COVID-19 vaccination campaigns provide overwhelming evidence that the vaccines’ benefits far outweigh their risks. There’s no evidence indicating that the amount of spike protein generated by mRNA vaccination is dangerous. The use of multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccines isn’t unusual or unprecedented; some childhood vaccines that have been used for decades also require four or more doses for complete immunization.

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.