A cornerstone of anti-vaccine misinformation is the claim that vaccines do not work or even worsen disease. The latest iteration claims that COVID rates in Israel prove this hypothesis.
The facts:
Despite media reports about Israeli vaccination, very few people there have received the 4th dose of COVID vaccine, and vaccine uptake has leveled off to rates even lower than the U.S.
We also need to consider the purpose of vaccination. For different vaccines, that answer might be different. For example, the tetanus and pertussis vaccines do not prevent infections at all. Instead, the vaccine teaches the body to combat the toxins the bacteria produce.
With COVID, the original stated goal of the vaccine was to prevent death and hospitalization. It just so happened that the vaccine also prevented infection as well with the earlier strains. With omicron, while the vaccine doesn't seem to prevent minor disease to the same extent it did for earlier variants, it does seem to protect against death and severe disease. The rates of those hospitalized for COVID are substantially higher in the unvaccinated those who are vaccinated.
Inhalable vaccination
The claim:
A totally believable photo posted on Facebook shows a COVID-19 vaccine vape cartridge manufactured by Pfizer.
The facts:
While this photograph is clearly altered, and there is no current vaping technology for the COVID vaccine, it sparks an interesting discussion about the delivery mechanisms for vaccines.
For some, needle phobia is a huge barrier to getting vaccinated. Fortunately, many resources can help people take control of those fears.
Some inhaled vaccines even already exist. One version of the flu vaccine, called FluMist, is an inhaled vaccine that has been around since 2003, and other vaccines are looking into this technology as well...including COVID! While the mRNA vaccines that are predominantly used in the US wouldn't work as an inhaled vaccine, as it would still need a way to interact directly with a body's cells, others are working with an adenovirus-vector vaccine that can be inhaled, like FluMist. Pfizer isn't quite putting out the vape cartridges yet, but we may one day see some form of inhaled delivery.
Refusing to vaccinate based on race
The claim:
A former president made a claim at a rally that white people are unable to get vaccinated against COVID because of their race.
The facts:
The vaccine is available free to all people in the United States, no exceptions. No health insurance or ID is required. The CDC is committed to vaccine equity, meaning that everyone should have fair and just access to COVID vaccine.
Gains in health equity have come about because of decades of hard work in the immunization space. In most states, vaccine uptake still shows discrepancies by race, alluding to opportunities in creating better access to vaccines for BIPOC communities.
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