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FDA experts support COVID-19 vaccines, didn’t author unsupported allegations of vaccine-caused deaths

The COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at protecting people from disease, hospitalization, and death. While they come with side effects, their benefits outweigh their risks. The FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is in charge of evaluating data about vaccine effectiveness and safety and issuing recommendations regarding their use. The committee also holds public hearing sessions where interested members of the public may present their views on the matter. The committee met on 17 September 2021 to discuss the use of a third dose of COVID-19 vaccines and approved its use for people above 65 and people particularly vulnerable to the disease.

No scientific evidence for claim by pathologist Ryan Cole that COVID-19 vaccines weaken the immune system

The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines carry instructions for producing the spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2. This gives the immune system an opportunity to learn to identify the virus, without having to run the risks associated with getting COVID-19, like respiratory difficulties and persistent health problems. Vaccination triggers various changes in the immune system, but there isn’t evidence indicating that vaccines disrupt or weaken the immune system.

COVID-19 treatments can improve a patient’s survival and recovery, but don’t replace the individual and community benefits of vaccination

Treatments are intended to reduce the severity and accelerate the recovery of patients that are already sick. While they complement vaccines and other public health measures to reduce the threat from a disease, they don’t replace the benefits provided by vaccination. Unlike vaccines, treatments cannot prevent disease. Apart from protecting an individual from disease, vaccines help to reduce transmission, thereby protecting others around the vaccinated individual and benefiting the wider community.

A person’s decision not to vaccinate affects others, as unvaccinated people are more likely to get infected and spread COVID-19

Herd immunity occurs when a certain proportion of the population has acquired immunity to a virus, either through vaccination or previous infection. In this way, the immune individuals help protect those who aren’t immune. Herd immunity is important for many people in the community who are forced to rely on others for indirect protection from an infectious disease. Some examples are children below the age of 12, who currently aren’t eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S., and those with a weakened immune system, like cancer patients and people who received organ transplants.

Germany hasn’t stopped COVID-19 vaccination, contrary to claims made about a simulation game event called “BasisCamp”

Germany didn’t halt COVID-19 vaccinations against COVID-19 and the country continues to see a rising number of vaccinated people. A video shared by BasisCamp announcing a halt to COVID-19 vaccinations in Germany, was part of a simulation game, in which members of the German political party Die Basis roleplay the actions they would have taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the game, a member of “Die Basis” roleplayed as the head of Germany’s public health institute. The announcements that COVID-19 vaccinations are halted in Germany, that the vaccines’ licenses are suspended and that vaccination is no longer recommended, were part of this game and fictional.

Vaccine boosters help maintain protection provided by initial vaccination; boosters have been used for routine vaccinations like tetanus and polio for decades

Vaccination against COVID-19 protects against severe disease and death. But this protection may wane over time, making it necessary for people to receive another dose of the vaccine (booster) to maintain protection. COVID-19 vaccines aren’t the only vaccines to require boosters. Boosters are also part of several well-established vaccinations, such as those against tetanus and polio, and are part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule in the U.S. Whether a booster shot is necessary depends on the duration of protection afforded by a vaccine, and this varies depending on the disease and the vaccine in question.

Multiple scientific studies suggest that masking can help limit transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in schools, contrary to claim in Federalist article

Many studies show that the use of masks in schools can limit the transmission of the virus, especially when complemented by other preventative measures like ventilation. Using a single study that found a non-statistically significant decrease in COVID-19 incidence in schools with mask requirements compared to schools with optional masking to claim there’s no science to back mask mandates overstates scientific confidence. Additionally, while it is true that the risk of serious illness and death is far higher in adults than children, children can still experience severe COVID-19 and die. The main benefit of masks in schools is to protect both children and the community at large by reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated its efficacy and safety in several stages of clinical trials before been authorized for emergency use, and therefore isn’t experimental

In August 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people 16 and older. Before receiving the Emergency Use Authorization in December 2020, the vaccine already had to demonstrate that it was safe and effective against the disease by completing several stages of clinical trials. Still, safety monitoring of vaccinated populations and trial participants continues as a standard procedure to collect more data about the vaccine performance in real-world conditions.