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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.

Janci Chunn Lindsay’s claims that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe are inaccurate and unsupported by scientific evidence

Clinical trials and data from vaccinations under real-world conditions demonstrate that COVID-19 vaccines are very safe and highly effective in preventing disease and transmission. Evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines aren’t toxic, nor do they impair fertility in recipients. Serious adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccination are rare among the millions of people who already received it, and the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the few known and potential risks.

Video shared by Sebastian Gorka Facebook page shows nurse making false and unsubstantiated claims about ivermectin, COVID-19 PCR tests, and COVID-19 vaccine safety

Data from clinical trials and ongoing monitoring of vaccination campaigns show that COVID-19 vaccines are very safe and effective. Their benefits outweigh their risks, as they are highly effective at reducing a person’s risk of infection and severe illness. There is no reliable scientific evidence demonstrating that ivermectin is an effective COVID-19 treatment, although research is currently underway to resolve this question.

U.S. prison releases complemented other strategies to limit the spread of COVID-19 in jails and prisons, including face masks

Prisoner releases from U.S. jails and prisons occurred as a response to rapidly increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths among incarcerated individuals. Other strategies to limit the spread of the coronavirus in prisons and jails, including mask-wearing, were adopted for the majority of the incarcerated population that weren’t released. The scientific evidence for the ability of face masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19 has only increased since the beginning of the pandemic.

Washington Times article by Robert Malone and Peter Navarro relies on inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims about virus evolution, vaccine immunity, and COVID-19 vaccine safety

“This article has inaccuracies throughout with a clear view to push an anti-vaccine agenda. The picture depicting a skull with eyes and nose made of coronaviruses in the shape of the U.S. is sensationalist. The opening line calls it Biden’s strategy. It was also Trump’s and is the strategy of every country and the WHO.”

Face masks can filter small airborne particles, including respiratory droplets, and are effective at reducing the spread of COVID-19

Face masks filter small airborne particles which carry viral particles, including respiratory droplets, even if these particles are smaller than the pore size of face masks, as small airborne particles do not move in a straight line and collide with the fabric fibers while passing through the mask. There is also evidence that face masks are effective in preventing the transmission of COVID-19, so their use by the general population has been recommended by various public health agencies such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Compared to unvaccinated people, vaccinated individuals are more protected against the Delta variant

Multiple studies show that fully vaccinated people possess neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant that hamper the ability of the virus to infect the cells. Although the Delta variant can partially evade vaccine-induced immunity, vaccination lowers the risk of developing symptomatic and severe disease. While infected people who are vaccinated show similar viral loads to unvaccinated people, the viral load decreases more quickly in vaccinated people, suggesting that the period during which they are contagious is shorter. This would reduce their capacity for transmission.

Family physician Daniel Stock repeated previously debunked misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and control strategies in a Mount Vernon School Board Meeting

Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect individuals and communities from potentially harmful diseases. History shows that vaccines don’t need to completely block infection or eradicate the disease to control the spread of infectious diseases within a population. COVID-19 vaccines can effectively reduce infections and prevent over 90% of severe illnesses and deaths, making them one of our best tools to curb the pandemic.

COVID-19 vaccines are a much safer way of acquiring immunity than infection, which requires exposing the person to risks from the disease

The spread of the Delta variant has caused new COVID-19 surges in many countries, including Israel. Data from Israel indicates that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has a lower effectiveness (64%) against infection and symptomatic illness with this variant, but the vaccine remains highly effective at preventing 93% of serious illnesses. Hence, Israel is now seeing fewer COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths compared to previous waves. This shows that COVID-19 vaccines are a safer way of acquiring immunity than infection and effectively protect people from illness and death.

New York Magazine article on children’s risks from COVID-19 is accurate, but more context regarding difference in risk between young and older children would be helpful

As a whole, children are at a lower risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19 compared to adults. However, very young children face a different level of risk compared to older children like teenagers. Long COVID, a condition in which people who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 continue to show signs of illness even weeks and months later, has been documented in children. Definitive information regarding the prevalence of long COVID in children is lacking, but research is currently underway to address this research question.