Effectiveness Archives - Page 4 of 5

Instagram Post Missing Context About Israeli Study on COVID-19 Natural Immunity

September 2, 2021

An Instagram post highlighted a headline about a non-peer-reviewed study from Israel that found that unvaccinated people previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 had greater immunity against the delta variant than never-infected people fully vaccinated with Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine. But the social media post omitted the study’s other finding that one dose of the vaccine enhanced protection for infection survivors.

Indiana Doctor Piles On Bogus COVID-19 Claims in Viral Video

August 10, 2021

In a viral video, an Indiana physician baselessly claimed that the COVID-19 vaccines, which have been shown to be safe and effective, “fight the virus wrong and let the virus become worse than it would with native infection.” He also incorrectly said no vaccine prevents infection and contended that people previously infected with COVID-19 do not benefit from vaccination, despite studies that suggest otherwise.

Posts Misinterpret CDC’s Provincetown COVID-19 Outbreak Report

August 6, 2021

Social media posts are misinterpreting the results of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, which found 74% of people in a COVID-19 outbreak were vaccinated, to argue against immunization. But experts say the statistic is misleading without more context — and doesn’t mean that the vaccines don’t work.

Vaccines Remain Largely Effective Against Delta Variant, Counter to Claims From Fox News Guest

July 30, 2021

Multiple studies show the FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines continue to be effective against the delta variant of the coronavirus, even if the potency of the vaccines is somewhat reduced. But a guest on Fox News falsely claimed the delta variant “really is not responsive at all, or protected at all by the vaccines” and there is “no clinical reason to go get vaccinated.”

Video Twists Advice on Delta Variant and Vaccination

July 27, 2021

An epidemiologist recommended that people get the COVID-19 vaccine because some evidence suggests an unvaccinated person who gets the delta variant is “twice as likely to require hospital treatment” than someone infected with the alpha variant. But a Facebook video twists that advice to claim that he said vaccinated people would be twice as likely to be hospitalized.

COVID-19 Vaccine Data Was Peer-Reviewed, Contrary to Meme’s Claim

May 28, 2021

The COVID-19 vaccines have been the subject of peer-reviewed studies that found they were effective and safe, but a meme has been circulating on social media falsely claiming that no such studies have been conducted.

Irish Professor Makes Unfounded Claims About Long-Term Effects of mRNA Vaccines

April 21, 2021

The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines authorized for use were found to be safe and effective in clinical trials and real-world conditions. A professor in Ireland baselessly claims in a video circulating on social media that they are not, and that those who get the vaccines will die as a result within several years.

Texas Doctor Spreads False Claims About COVID-19 Vaccines

March 26, 2021

Federal officials authorized two mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 after they were determined to be safe and effective against symptomatic illness in clinical trials. But a Texas doctor, in a widely shared video, falsely claims the vaccines don’t provide protection and that they’re actually “experimental gene therapy.”

What does it mean to say a vaccine has 94% percent efficacy or higher?

Efficacy is a measure of how well a vaccine performs in a clinical trial. It specifically refers to a relative reduction in infection or disease when comparing the vaccinated group to the placebo (or control) group.
For instance, both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were primarily evaluated for their ability to prevent symptomatic COVID-19, with the former having a 95% efficacy and the latter having a 94% efficacy in the clinical trial data submitted for the original authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.

How effective are the COVID-19 vaccines?

All of the authorized and approved vaccines are effective at preventing severe COVID-19.
Against earlier forms of the coronavirus, the vaccines were highly effective at preventing symptomatic illness. For example, clinical trials for the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines and the protein-based Novavax vaccine found each reduced the risk of getting sick by more than 90%.
Subsequent studies have demonstrated that the vaccines are effective under real-world conditions.