{"id":12260,"date":"2025-05-22T18:05:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T23:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/?post_type=just-the-facts&#038;p=12260"},"modified":"2025-05-31T18:16:30","modified_gmt":"2025-05-31T23:16:30","slug":"correcting-this-weeks-misinformation-week-of-may-22-2025","status":"publish","type":"just-the-facts","link":"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/es\/just-the-facts\/correcting-this-weeks-misinformation-week-of-may-22-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Correcting this week\u2019s misinformation: week of May 22, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\">[vc_row][vc_column]<div class=\"templatera_shortcode\"><style type=\"text\/css\" data-type=\"vc_shortcodes-default-css\">.vc_do_custom_heading{margin-bottom:0.625rem;margin-top:0;}<\/style><style type=\"text\/css\" data-type=\"vc_shortcodes-custom-css\">.vc_custom_1708910460305{border-top-width: 2px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #004789 !important;border-radius: 2px !important;}<\/style>[vc_row remove_bottom_col_margin=\"true\" css=\".vc_custom_1708910460305{border-top-width: 2px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #004789 !important;border-radius: 2px !important;}\"][vc_column]<div class=\"vcex-spacing wpex-w-100 wpex-clear\" style=\"height:15px;\"><\/div>[vc_row_inner equal_height=\"yes\" content_placement=\"top\"][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/6\"]<figure class=\"vcex-image vcex-module\"><div class=\"vcex-image-inner wpex-relative wpex-inline-block\"><img width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/just-immunization-facts.png\" class=\"vcex-image-img wpex-align-middle\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/just-immunization-facts.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/just-immunization-facts-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/just-immunization-facts-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/just-immunization-facts-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/just-immunization-facts-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/just-immunization-facts-50x50.png 50w, https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/just-immunization-facts-50x50@2x.png 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/div><\/figure>[\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"5\/6\"][vc_custom_heading source=\"post_title\" font_container=\"tag:h1|font_size:1.615em|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff\" use_theme_fonts=\"yes\" css=\"\"]<div class=\"vcex-spacing wpex-w-100 wpex-clear\" style=\"height:20px;\"><\/div>[vc_column_text css=\"\"]\r\n<p style=\"color: #ffffff; text-align: right;\">Want to see debunkings like this in action? Watch the <a style=\"color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLM53nMUclCyzp58Ns_M85dxsGsaJfuPe2\">videos<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row source=&#8221;&#8221; text=&#8221;Clinical Trials&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Abril%20Fatface%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221; link=&#8221;&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1708910874436{border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column]<div class=\"wpex-post-cards wpex-post-cards-template_10153 wpex-relative\"><div class=\"wpex-post-cards-inner\"><div class=\"wpex-post-cards-loop wpex-post-cards-grid wpex-row wpex-clr\"><div class=\"wpex-post-cards-entry col col-1 span_1_of_1 post-12262 type-jtf_topics jtf_topic_subjects-199 jtf_topic_subjects-218\"><div class=\"wpex-card wpex-card-template_10153\"><div class=\"wpex-card-inner\"><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid wpex-relative\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vcex-page-title vcex-module\"><h2 class=\"vcex-page-title__heading wpex-heading wpex-text-3xl\"><span class=\"vcex-page-title__text\">Are childhood vaccines grounded in evidence?<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid wpex-relative\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"vcex-post-content\">\n\t<style>.vc_custom_1708910874436{border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;}<\/style>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"vcex-post-content-c wpex-clr\"><div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_custom_1708910874436 wpex-relative wpex-vc_row-has-fill wpex-vc-reset-negative-margin\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_inner vc_row-fluid wpex-relative\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h3 style=\"text-align: left\" class=\"vc_custom_heading vc_do_custom_heading\" >The Claim:<\/h3>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<p>In a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TheChiefNerd\/status\/1922812753309294813\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hearing<\/a>\u00a0before the Senate HELP committee, RFK Jr. claimed that most childhood vaccines were not tested for safety using placebo trials before being approved and that the government only recently started using evidence-based medicine for vaccines.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_inner vc_row-fluid wpex-relative\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h3 style=\"text-align: left\" class=\"vc_custom_heading vc_do_custom_heading\" >The Facts:<\/h3>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<p>In the clip above, Kennedy\u00a0claims 1) vaccine experts at the CDC and FDA haven\u2019t used \u201cevidence-based medicine\u201d until recently 2) vaccines are exempt from pre-licensing safety testing,\u00a03) the only vaccine tested in a placebo-controlled trial was the COVID vaccine and 4)\u00a0that children receive 76 of these &#8220;untested&#8221; shots.<\/p>\n<p>Evidence-based medicine means using the best available data and research to make medical decisions. This has been part of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/science\/vaccinedevelopment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vaccine development<\/a>\u00a0for decades. The committees at the CDC and FDA are made up of doctors, scientists, and public health experts who look at all the scientific data before making decisions about vaccines. These groups don\u2019t just guess\u2014they follow strict rules and look at all the evidence before recommending a vaccine for use.<\/p>\n<p>Vaccines are tested very carefully before they are approved; the process is clearly laid out by\u00a0the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/vaccines\/basics\/how-developed-approved.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/vaccines\/basics\/test-approve.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CDC<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/vaccines-blood-biologics\/development-approval-process-cber\/vaccine-development-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FDA<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0First, they go through lab and animal testing. Then, they go through three stages of human clinical trials and those results are thoroughly reviewed before the vaccines\u00a0are considered for approvals.<\/p>\n<p>In these trials, thousands of volunteers are given either the vaccine or something else, like a placebo or a different vaccine, so researchers can compare the results. Even if the placebo is not always just saline\u00a0(an \u201cinert\u201d placebo), the comparison is still valid. Scientists compare rates of illness and side effects between the two groups to see how well the vaccine works and whether it causes any problems.<\/p>\n<p>A common misconception is that a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/jtf_topics\/why-arent-vaccines-tested-against-placebos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">placebo<\/a>\u00a0must be an inert substance, but that&#8217;s not always the case. If there is an adjuvant that has been tested for safety in the past, the placebo might include the adjuvant to keep the trial arms as identical as possible between the vaccine and the placebo. Additionally, in the cases of new vaccines, if there is a vaccine that already exists, that can be used as a placebo against a new, possibly improved vaccine, since you&#8217;re testing whether the new treatment works better than the old one.<\/p>\n<p>Saline-placebo-controlled trials are conducted for many vaccines to assess both\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/toolkits\/vaccine-overview-development-safety\/\">safety<\/a>\u00a0and efficacy:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/9142061\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3D9b4a4b97e3%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690295150789000&amp;usg=AOvVaw32oSp_dVw5AFEA2hLObqz2\">Rubella<\/a>\u00a0vaccine<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/3893185\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3D1314eaff2f%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690295150789000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PV3wc84z5i8otVAT5ijJB\">Pneumococcal<\/a>\u00a0vaccine<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/2233906\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3Dd9bfacac6f%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690295150789000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3B47LWEmeZJ9UFuSp41fnZ\">Hib<\/a>\u00a0vaccines<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/17484215\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3D0a8f83150d%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690295150789000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3S7pEL9M4FoVxfSXW70fP1\">HPV<\/a>\u00a0vaccine<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0Salk\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sph.umich.edu\/polio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3Da2a711ac2d%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690295150789000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1rjsKhrOWv2q4efQBMXlUv\">Polio<\/a>\u00a0vaccine<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2554544\/pdf\/bullwho00229-0146.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3D193f62c8d5%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690295150789000&amp;usg=AOvVaw07mO3bnLmB-iTf6XH4fua8\">Measles<\/a>\u00a0vaccine<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/classic.clinicaltrials.gov\/ct2\/show\/NCT00707148\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3D2e7339de7d%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690295150789000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2KcULsazeuKY7oqZTa45Pq\">Tdap<\/a>\u00a0vaccine<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8767431\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3D5c1ba28577%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690295150789000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0SyiBRp4rCDJv-cq9-r5B7\">COVID<\/a>\u00a0vaccine<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There are currently 22 diseases on the childhood vaccine schedule that children are protected against. Some of them have multiple doses of vaccine, but protection against some of the diseases are combined together so that you are getting protection against 4 or even 6 diseases in one shot.\u00a0\u00a0For example,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vaxelis.com\/vaccine-schedule\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vaxelis<\/a>\u00a0is a vaccine that protects against 6 diseases over a course of 3 doses, yet opponents would count that as having received 24 shots.<\/p>\n<p>In short, vaccines are among the most carefully tested medical products we have. They undergo long, detailed studies before being used in people, and scientists continue to monitor their safety even after they are approved.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpex-post-cards-entry col col-1 span_1_of_1 post-12263 type-jtf_topics jtf_topic_subjects-189 jtf_topic_subjects-188 jtf_topic_subjects-218\"><div class=\"wpex-card wpex-card-template_10153\"><div class=\"wpex-card-inner\"><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid wpex-relative\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vcex-page-title vcex-module\"><h2 class=\"vcex-page-title__heading wpex-heading wpex-text-3xl\"><span class=\"vcex-page-title__text\">Should kids get COVID boosters?<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid wpex-relative\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"vcex-post-content\">\n\t<style>.vc_custom_1708910874436{border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;}<\/style>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"vcex-post-content-c wpex-clr\"><div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_custom_1708910874436 wpex-relative wpex-vc_row-has-fill wpex-vc-reset-negative-margin\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_inner vc_row-fluid wpex-relative\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h3 style=\"text-align: left\" class=\"vc_custom_heading vc_do_custom_heading\" >The Claim:<\/h3>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<p>In an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/KanekoaTheGreat\/status\/1922109622493839829\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">interview<\/a>\u00a0with Charlie Kirk, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary claims that there is no solid evidence supporting COVID boosters for healthy children and suggests that it was only recommended to bring hidden protections for vaccine makers.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_inner vc_row-fluid wpex-relative\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h3 style=\"text-align: left\" class=\"vc_custom_heading vc_do_custom_heading\" >The Facts:<\/h3>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<p>The video claims that there is no good evidence showing that giving another COVID booster to young, healthy children is helpful. This is misleading.<\/p>\n<p>Studies have shown that COVID vaccines help prevent severe illness in children, including reducing the risk of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9868379\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3D77c691899f%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1731887310234000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0B_6mI9WEr_PpzQgDh6S8i\">hospitalization<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ped-rheum.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12969-023-00848-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3D58a2cacbc3%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1731887310234000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2xaHfonGFtaemNm5TvdQlP\">severe outcomes<\/a>\u00a0like multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). While hospitalization rates for COVID-19 are generally lower in children than adults, they are still significant, particularly among young children and infants who have not yet developed robust immune defenses. Clinical trials and real-world data support the vaccine\u2019s efficacy in reducing severe outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>Stories like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/health\/conditions-and-diseases\/coronavirus\/patient-story-ethan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3D7aef020ee8%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1731887310234000&amp;usg=AOvVaw37aOWCxqM8Ei9r598Kt5N4\">Ethan\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0remind us why it\u2019s worth protecting children against the worst effects of COVID.<\/p>\n<p>But do other countries already recommend against giving the COVID vaccine to healthy children? This is partially true. Countries like Germany and Greece\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vaccine-schedule.ecdc.europa.eu\/Scheduler\/ByDisease?SelectedDiseaseId=52&amp;SelectedCountryIdByDisease=-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recommend<\/a>\u00a0COVID vaccines for children six months and older, and many countries in Europe recommend the vaccine for children over 5 years old. But when thinking about European recommendations, we have to remember that healthcare is free and easy to access for many people in Europe, and the U.S. is considering adding work requirements to Medicaid.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, the video suggests that if the COVID vaccine is added to the U.S. childhood vaccination schedule, it automatically gives vaccine makers immunity from lawsuits, and this is somehow sinister. This is misleading.<\/p>\n<p>In\u00a0the\u00a0U.S., a special program called\u00a0the\u00a0National\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrsa.gov\/vaccine-compensation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3D66030ce763%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728940768173000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3GroqlIKEfYSgrZ4N50nTi\">Vaccine Injury Compensation Program<\/a>\u00a0(VICP) helps people who vaccines may have harmed. This program exists because vaccines protect public health, and very rare adverse reactions can occur. However, vaccine makers are not free from responsibility\u2014this system ensures claims can be handled fairly without discouraging companies from developing vaccines that save lives.<\/p>\n<p>In summary, the video makes several claims that leave out key information. COVID vaccines have been shown to help protect children, though the benefits vary depending on age and health. Some countries made different choices based on their situations, and legal protections for vaccines are in place to keep people safe and the public protected.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpex-post-cards-entry col col-1 span_1_of_1 post-12264 type-jtf_topics jtf_topic_subjects-195 jtf_topic_subjects-199 jtf_topic_subjects-218\"><div class=\"wpex-card wpex-card-template_10153\"><div class=\"wpex-card-inner\"><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid wpex-relative\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vcex-page-title vcex-module\"><h2 class=\"vcex-page-title__heading wpex-heading wpex-text-3xl\"><span class=\"vcex-page-title__text\">How strong is the evidence refuting the autism myth?<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid wpex-relative\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"vcex-post-content\">\n\t<style>.vc_custom_1708910874436{border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;}<\/style>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"vcex-post-content-c wpex-clr\"><div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_custom_1708910874436 wpex-relative wpex-vc_row-has-fill wpex-vc-reset-negative-margin\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_inner vc_row-fluid wpex-relative\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h3 style=\"text-align: left\" class=\"vc_custom_heading vc_do_custom_heading\" >The Claim:<\/h3>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<p>In an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TheChiefNerd\/status\/1924350998207754453\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">episode<\/a>\u00a0of the MAHA podcast, pediatrician Joel Warsh\u00a0claims that vaccine safety research is weak because it hasn\u2019t compared vaccinated to unvaccinated children or studied all vaccines together.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_inner vc_row-fluid wpex-relative\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h3 style=\"text-align: left\" class=\"vc_custom_heading vc_do_custom_heading\" >The Facts:<\/h3>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC2908388\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC2908388\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Anti-vaxxers exploit how exact science can be when talking about autism. Science cannot prove that something doesn&#8217;t happen. We can&#8217;t prove that unicorns don&#8217;t exist; we can only point out that no credible sighting of a unicorn has ever taken place and that we do not have evidence like unicorn scat or unicorn fossils to support the hypothesis that unicorns exist.<\/p>\n<p>So science cannot say that vaccines absolutely do not cause autism, only that no credible evidence exists to show that it does cause autism. But this isn&#8217;t a scientific paper, and we all know that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/?s=autism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vaccines do not cause autism<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In 1998, when Wakefield held the press conference about his fraudulent and now retracted paper, we didn&#8217;t know as much about autism as we do today.\u00a0 Studies show that autism is mostly genetic and often starts before birth, during early brain development in the womb. The brain differences seen in autism are usually there before birth and don\u2019t appear suddenly because of things like vaccines. This supports research suggesting that autism\u2019s main causes happen well\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/health-shots\/2014\/03\/26\/294446735\/brain-changes-suggest-autism-starts-in-the-womb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3Dba8865a22d%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1731887310907000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3RaDd1u4PMEAzyUCJ06Rpr\">before a baby is born<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autismsciencefoundation.org\/autism-and-vaccines-read-the-science\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3D6e20e607f6%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1731887310907000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1SrHBAdui7UnysJY_cwvT4\">Large-scale studies<\/a>\u00a0from global health authorities, including the CDC, WHO, and various peer-reviewed sources, have repeatedly shown no causal link between vaccines and autism. One\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/autismsciencefoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/vaccine.2019.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">notable study<\/a>\u00a0from Denmark looked at more than 650,000 children born between 1999 and 2010 to see if the measles\u2011mumps\u2011rubella (MMR) shot could be linked to autism. They followed each child for years and counted about 6,500 autism diagnoses, but kids who got the MMR shot were no more likely to develop autism than kids who skipped it. There&#8217;s your vaccinated-versus-unvaccinated study.<\/p>\n<p>Why don&#8217;t anti-vaxxers accept these studies? The reasons are many, but mostly because they aren&#8217;t ready to do so. And so they simply\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC2908388\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">move away\u00a0<\/a>from &#8220;The MMR causes autism&#8221; to &#8220;Too many vaccines cause autism&#8221; or &#8220;This other vaccine causes autism.&#8221; The cycle is never-ending, and we could use those research dollars instead to find ways to make the lives of autistic people better.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Explore the facts behind three common vaccine myths: miscarriage claims, childhood COVID booster concerns, and the long-debunked vaccine-autism link\u2014all backed by science, not speculation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","jtf_topic_subjects":[],"class_list":["post-12260","just-the-facts","type-just-the-facts","status-publish","hentry","entry","no-media"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/just-the-facts\/12260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/just-the-facts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/just-the-facts"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"jtf_topic_subjects","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jtf_topic_subjects?post=12260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}