The Claim:
Websites and Twitter influencers are claiming that 1,000 scientific studies prove that COVID vaccines are unsafe. That’s a lot of studies.
The Facts:
The first 100 studies listed all discussed the same topic: myocarditis/pericarditis after COVID vaccination. We already know that myocarditis and pericarditis are rare side effects of the mRNA COVID vaccines, but we also know that myocarditis caused by the vaccine tends to be mild and self-limiting, and the risks of myocarditis are actually much higher after COVID infection itself.
If we dig further into these lists, one link shows that out of 2.8 million vaccines administered by the military, a total of 23 instances of myocarditis were reported. The article notes: “Vigilance for rare adverse events, including myocarditis, after COVID-19 vaccination is warranted but should not diminish overall confidence in vaccination during the current pandemic.”
The technique of simply listing papers is a form of Gish Gallop. After all, who in their right mind is going to read through 1,000 scientific papers to see if they truly support the claims against vaccines? And that’s really the point.
Those of us who have been around for a while remember the case of the mother who kept adding to her very long list of articles she said proved that vaccines cause autism. The length of the list never made her argument any less incorrect.
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Glossary words on this page
- Adverse events
- An “adverse event” is any health problem that happens after a shot or other vaccine.
- Autism
- Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference that affects how autistic people experience the world around them.
- Pandemic
- A worldwide epidemic (e.g., COVID-19)
- Side effect
- A response that happens as a result of a vaccine, such as redness or swelling at the injection site.
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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