{"id":16159,"date":"2026-04-30T13:46:56","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T18:46:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/?post_type=just-the-facts&#038;p=16159"},"modified":"2026-04-30T13:49:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T18:49:26","slug":"correcting-this-weeks-misinformation-week-of-april-30-2026","status":"publish","type":"just-the-facts","link":"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/es\/just-the-facts\/correcting-this-weeks-misinformation-week-of-april-30-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Correcting this week\u2019s misinformation: week of April 30, 2026"},"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 remove_bottom_col_margin=&#8221;true&#8221; 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_1767222023487{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-16153 type-jtf_topics jtf_topic_subjects-301 jtf_topic_subjects-189 jtf_topic_subjects-188 jtf_topic_subjects-298 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\">Can mRNA vaccines protect against respiratory viruses?<\/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 recent Senate Finance Committee\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MaryBowdenMD\/status\/2047034626703507558?s=20\" rel=\"nofollow\">hearing<\/a>, HHS Secretary RFK Jr. said that he took away over $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine research because they do not work. He also said that if they did work, vaccine companies would spend their own money on research.<\/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>People often say that if you \u201cfollow the money,\u201d everything leads back to drug companies. It is true that pharmaceutical companies often pay for the later stages of research, like large clinical trials and bringing a product to market. However, government funding plays a major role much earlier in the process. In the United States, the government is the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/products\/gao-23-105656\">largest funder<\/a>\u00a0of basic and early-stage medical research, mainly through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This early research helps scientists understand diseases and develop new ideas for treatments.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/synapse.patsnap.com\/article\/how-much-of-new-drug-research-is-funded-by-the-government-compared-to-charities-as-well-as-pharmaceutical-companies-themselves\">Studies<\/a>\u00a0show that government-funded research is connected to nearly all new drugs approved in recent years, and it may account for about half of the total investment needed to create them. Drug companies usually build on this early work and then fund the expensive later stages.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, RFK Jr.\u00a0argues that mRNA vaccines do not work for respiratory illnesses, such as COVID.\u00a0While some experts think that other types of vaccines, like inhaled ones, might work even better in the future,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/ame2.70018\">current research<\/a>\u00a0shows that mRNA vaccines for diseases like COVID\u00a0do work.<\/p>\n<p>For example,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajpmonline.org\/article\/S0749-3797(24)00110-7\/fulltext\">one study<\/a>\u00a0looked at the impact of COVID\u00a0vaccination campaigns between April 2021 and March 2022. It found that vaccines helped prevent about 2.6 million mild COVID-19 cases, nearly 244,000 hospitalizations, and saved over 51,000 lives. The study also estimated that the vaccines provided about $732 billion in overall benefits, including reduced healthcare costs and fewer lost workdays. Other studies have reached similar conclusions, showing that mRNA COVID\u00a0vaccines are effective.<\/p>\n<p>It is also important to understand that stopping funding for mRNA vaccines would not only affect COVID\u00a0research. It would also slow down or stop research into using\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Q31rCjtAWnU\">mRNA technology<\/a>\u00a0to treat or prevent other diseases, including some that are not related to the lungs.<\/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-16155 type-jtf_topics jtf_topic_subjects-199 jtf_topic_subjects-191 jtf_topic_subjects-203 jtf_topic_subjects-296 jtf_topic_subjects-218 jtf_topic_subjects-278\"><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\">Is the MMR deadlier than measles?<\/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>A recent\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/zenodo.org\/records\/18671462\" rel=\"nofollow\">research paper<\/a>\u00a0from Peter McCollough&#8217;s group says that 299 deaths in the U.S. were reported after MMR vaccines, mostly in very young children, soon after getting the shot.<\/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 claims in this graph come from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/science\/vaccinesafety\/\">VAERS<\/a>. According to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.jhu.edu\/2022\/what-vaers-is-and-isnt\">VAERS<\/a>\u00a0website,\u00a0anyone\u00a0can file a report about a bad reaction after getting a vaccine. But that doesn\u2019t mean the vaccine actually caused the problem. VAERS is partly run by the CDC, but the CDC only hosts the data\u2014it does not collect or verify it.<\/p>\n<p>When you visit the VAERS website, it warns that \u201cVAERS\u00a0reports may contain information that is<strong>\u00a0incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental, or unverifiable.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0Because of this, scientists must be very careful when using VAERS data. The graph itself shows this problem too\u2014it says vaccine deaths are only\u00a0<em>suspected,<\/em>\u00a0not proven. In fact, the reports don\u2019t always mean there is a real link to vaccines at all.<\/p>\n<p>A report in VAERS is not proof that a vaccine caused harm\u2014it only shows that something happened after vaccination, not because of it. The numbers in VAERS also do not show how common a problem is, since millions of children get vaccines, so a number like 299 reports does not tell us the real risk. In addition, some reports may be missing details, have mistakes, or even be counted more than once, which is why scientists do not treat VAERS as proof. The study itself only describes patterns in reports and does not prove cause and effect or show that vaccines caused the deaths.<\/p>\n<p>It is also important to know that young children can have health problems around the same age they get vaccines, which can make patterns appear even when vaccines are not the cause. Because of all this, scientists look at both the benefits and the risks when judging vaccine safety, not just these reports.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also important to remember why there are so few\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/how-i-lost-my-daughter-to-measles\/\">measles deaths<\/a>\u00a0today. Kids get vaccinated, which means they don\u2019t catch measles and don\u2019t die from it. Before the vaccine, about\u00a0<strong>500 children used to die\u00a0from measles every year in the United States.<\/strong><\/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-16157 type-jtf_topics jtf_topic_subjects-271 jtf_topic_subjects-301 jtf_topic_subjects-188 jtf_topic_subjects-352 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\">Is vaccinated blood dangerous?<\/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>People are still, in the year\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cidrap.umn.edu\/covid-19\/more-people-requesting-unvaccinated-blood-themselves-or-their-children\">2026<\/a>, asking for blood from unvaccinated donors.<\/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 Red Cross\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.redcross.org\/about-us\/news-and-events\/news\/2024\/those-who-receive-COVID-19-vaccine-are-able-to-donate-blood.html\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/voicesforvaccines.us6.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u%3De17a65409cd8f13ba7e58cc97%26id%3D85fdf7573b%26e%3Dfc0735be13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1709310888302000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0cJYIZ9zuBzpZlEUaTw65p\">policy<\/a>\u00a0on blood donation after COVID vaccines says vaccinated people can donate blood. According to the Red Cross, \u201cCOVID-19 vaccine does not make you ineligible to donate blood,\u201d and there is \u201cno wait period after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they are feeling well and symptom-free.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>One\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/divisionofresearch.kaiserpermanente.org\/covid19-vaccine-blood-supply\/\">2025 study<\/a>\u00a0shows it is safe to get blood from someone who has had a COVID vaccine. Researchers looked at thousands of patients and found no extra risk from blood given by vaccinated donors. They also found no link between this blood and problems like blood clots, breathing issues, or death. Overall, the results show the blood supply is safe, even when donors were vaccinated or had COVID before.<\/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":"The Claim: People are still, in the year\u00a02026, asking for blood from unvaccinated donors. The Facts: The Red Cross\u00a0policy\u00a0on blood donation after COVID vaccines says vaccinated people can donate blood.&hellip;","protected":false},"template":"","jtf_topic_subjects":[],"class_list":["post-16159","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\/16159","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=16159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"jtf_topic_subjects","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jtf_topic_subjects?post=16159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}