Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle. While COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are associated with rare cases of myocarditis, particularly in young males, COVID-19 itself is associated with a greater risk of myocarditis, along with other complications like blood clots. On balance, the benefits of the vaccines outweigh their risks.
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder commonly manifesting in difficulties with social communication and behavior. Research suggests the likelihood of ASD is influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Numerous large-scale studies have investigated a potential association between childhood vaccination and autism, with none finding an association between the two. This absence of an association speaks against the hypothesis that childhood vaccination is causally linked to autism.
COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Studies conducted worldwide, including in Japan, consistently demonstrate their effectiveness, with booster doses providing even greater protection against emerging variants.
Ivermectin and fenbendazole are two antiparasitic drugs that have shown anticancer effects in laboratory settings. However, there is no reliable evidence showing that either ivermectin or fenbendazole can cure cancer in people. Ivermectin is included in the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines for its effectiveness in treating certain parasitic infections in humans. In contrast, European and U.S. regulatory agencies have approved fenbendazole only for veterinary use, not in humans.
COVID-19 vaccines effectively reduce the risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19. Epidemiological data shows that unvaccinated people have died at a higher rate from the disease, even taking into account factors such as the age of the population or the proportion of vaccinated and unvaccinated people in the population. Research estimates that hundreds of thousands of unvaccinated people who died from COVID-19 would have survived had they been vaccinated.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine manufacturers, regulatory agencies, and governments have collaborated to produce COVID-19 vaccines. Starting with a few hundred million doses in January 2021, production increased to over 12 billion doses by the end of that same year. This increase was enabled by expanding production facilities and initiating certain components of manufacturing efforts before vaccine authorization.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that typically affects a person’s ability to interact and communicate with others. Scientific evidence suggests that there’s no one cause for autism. Rather, the causes are likely to involve a combination of many genetic and environmental factors. There’s no cure for autism, but various treatments, like cognitive behavioral therapy and speech-language therapy, can help people on the spectrum live a normal, fulfilling life.
Alternative medicine practices, like naturopathy, continue to be practiced by many people today. Medical research has drawn on both petrochemicals and materials from nature, like plants. For example, the anti-cancer drug paclitaxel originates from the bark of the Pacific yew tree. Another example is artemisinin, extracted from the annual mugwort, which is used to treat malaria. Aspirin, a common pain reliever, originates from willow bark.
Since 2021, certain COVID-19 vaccines, specifically the viral vector COVID-19 vaccines, have been linked to a rare blood clotting problem known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome. But COVID-19 mRNA vaccines aren’t associated with the same risk. COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at reducing the risk of severe disease and death. Getting COVID-19 is associated with a much greater risk of blood clots than getting the vaccine. On balance, the vaccines’ benefits outweigh their risks.
COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death from the virus. They’ve been rigorously tested via clinical trials and are routinely monitored by health agencies for safety. While rare side effects such as myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) and blood clotting disorders have been reported, these events are uncommon. COVID-19 itself is more likely to increase the risk of heart inflammation and blood clotting than vaccines. The benefits of vaccination outweigh the potential risks.
