The Claim:
In a recent podcast episode, Joe Rogan and guest Aaron Rodgers how they say the COVID‑19 vaccine spreads through the body, keeps making spike protein for years, lowers fertility, causes unusual blood clots, heart inflammation and other health problems, and even makes people more likely to get sick despite needing many booster shots.
The Facts:
These claims are based on misconstrued data where scientists tested lipid nanoparticles on rats. These nanoparticles are like tiny packages that hold the mRNA used in the COVID vaccine. The scientists put a special label on these nanoparticles that allowed them to see where they went in the rats’ bodies and how long they stayed there.
When we look at the data, we see that most of the nanoparticles stayed where they were injected, and some went to the liver. Only very tiny amounts, less than 1%, went to other parts of the body, and in most places, it was even less than 0.1%. So, the claim that most of these nanoparticles spread throughout the body is not correct.
The vast majority of mRNA stays near the muscle and breaks down within a day or two. The small amount of spike protein it makes is cleared fast, so it does not build up in other organs or keep churning out years later.
Large real‑world studies on people trying to get pregnant and on thousands of pregnancies show no extra risk for infertility, miscarriage, or problems for the baby after COVID vaccination. Research on couples, IVF clinics, and more than 100,000 pregnancies shows the vaccines are not associated with risks for fertility, pregnancies, or babies, and vaccination actually lowers the risk of severe illness during pregnancy.
Anti-vaccine activists have used prior concerns about a particular type of blood clot associated with adenovirus vector vaccines. mRNA vaccines, like Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, have a minimal risk of blood clots, unlike COVID itself, which significantly increases the risk of blood clots and stroke.
Some teens and young adults can get mild myocarditis after an mRNA dose, but most cases clear with rest, and catching COVID is still more likely to hurt the heart than the vaccine. In most people, being vaccinated on shots actually reduced the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and clots.
It turns out that the conspiracy theorists, even the quarterbacks, were incorrect.
Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.
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