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Excess deaths in the U.K. remain below the pandemic peak and aren’t linked to COVID-19 vaccines

Excess deaths in the U.K. remain well below the peaks during the COVID-19 pandemic before the vaccines were widely available. It is difficult to precisely define the causes of the recent rise in deaths, however pressure on health services and delays in treatment due to the pandemic are significant factors. The COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be very safe, only causing heart inflammation in extremely rare cases.

Evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines don’t increase the risk of death, contrary to claim by financier Edward Dowd

Multiple pieces of evidence show that COVID-19 vaccination doesn’t increase the risk of death. Like all medical interventions, the COVID-19 vaccines carry side effects, but most of these are mild and short-lived. Certain COVID-19 vaccines are associated with an increased risk of heart inflammation or blood clots, but these risks are smaller than those associated with COVID-19 itself.

Video by John Campbell comparing historical and COVID-19 vaccines misleads on vaccine safety

Multiple peer-reviewed published studies have shown that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh its risks. Benefits from vaccination take longer to appear compared to harms, which usually appear within the first six weeks following vaccination. Consequently, studies that aim to reliably compare the risks and benefits of vaccination require time to obtain a complete picture.

Medical exemptions to COVID-19 vaccines are granted for contraindications, not including history of blood clots or adverse reaction to prior vaccine

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective against severe illness and death. People who have contraindications to COVID-19 vaccines can get a medical exemption. However, an adverse reaction to a previous vaccine and a history of blood clots aren’t, on their own, reasons not to vaccinate. On the contrary, COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for people with a history of blood clots, as they are at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 and related complications, including blood clotting.

Contrary to viral Instagram videos, COVID-19 vaccines remain highly effective against severe disease

When interpreting and comparing vaccine effectiveness, it’s important to ensure that we compare like with like. For example, vaccine effectiveness against infection isn’t comparable to that against severe disease. Vaccine effectiveness isn’t static and depends on many factors. For instance, immunity can wane over time, therefore a study about vaccine effectiveness performed weeks post-vaccination isn’t representative of what happens months post-vaccination. The evolution of newer, more infectious variants can also render vaccines less effective against infection. However, the COVID-19 vaccines remain highly protective against severe disease.

Mask-wearing helps to reduce the spread of COVID-19; social media posts misinterpreted Annals of Internal Medicine study on N95 respirators

Although mask-wearing doesn’t prevent people from catching COVID-19 with 100% effectiveness, multiple peer-reviewed studies have shown that mask-wearing can and does meaningfully reduce the risk of transmitting the virus. Furthermore, mask-wearing isn’t associated with serious long-term health problems, whereas COVID-19 is. Consequently, mask-wearing is a low-risk intervention that offers important public health benefits, particularly during a pandemic caused by a respiratory virus.

Findings from researchers in Basel didn’t show an 800-fold increase in myocarditis in vaccinated people compared to unvaccinated individuals

Multiple scientific studies show that COVID-19 vaccines effectively reduce the risk of severe disease and death. Observations from a Swiss team using a more sensitive detection protocols revealed that there are cases of mild myocarditis that previously went undetected owing to the absence of severe symptoms. The risk of myocarditis requiring medical attention is higher during COVID-19 than after vaccination with mRNA vaccines.

People can sue manufacturers for injury following routine childhood vaccines, contrary to a claim by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In the U.S., the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is a no-fault program that compensates people who are found to have been injured by certain vaccinations. It doesn’t prohibit people from suing vaccine manufacturers, but people can only pursue legal action against manufacturers after exhausting their options through the VICP. Both authorized and approved COVID-19 vaccines are pandemic countermeasures under the PREP Act declaration. Therefore, they aren’t covered by the VICP, but by another program known as the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program.