The Claim:
In an interview on Not Just Football with Cam Heyward (starts around 1m47s), Aaron Rodgers suggests COVID vaccines do not work because vaccinated people can still catch and spread the virus, and he claims health officials misled people about that.
The Facts:
- No vaccine prevents every case, and protection can differ by vaccine.
- COVID vaccines lower the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
- Health advice changed as scientists learned more about the new SARS-CoV-2 virus.
No vaccine prevents every case of disease. Some vaccines, such as the measles vaccine, give most people strong and lasting protection. Protection from COVID vaccines starts strong but can decrease over time. This happens because the virus changes and can sometimes avoid parts of the immune response. COVID vaccines may not prevent every infection, but they still lower the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
When COVID vaccines first became available, studies found that they offered strong protection. COVID was caused by a new virus, so scientists could not know exactly how the virus or vaccine protection would change over time. Health officials updated their advice as they learned more. However, COVID became highly political, which made clear public communication more difficult.
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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