Tag Archives: CDC

Are 3 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine safe for babies?

The CDC just recommended 3 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for babies 6 months and older – is that safe? Here is what you need to know…

Are 3 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine safe for babies?

The Children’s Health Defense, which is chaired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., just posted an article (archive) which claims or suggests that it might not be safe for babies to receive 3 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine because it’s unlicensed for children under 12.

There Are No Licensed COVID Vaccines for Kids Under 12 — But CDC Wants Babies to Get 3 Pfizer Shots by Age 9 Months

According to the latest CDC guidance, 9-month-old babies must receive multiple doses of an unlicensed mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to be considered “up to date” with their COVID-19 vaccination.

Nine-month-old babies must receive multiple doses of an unlicensed mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to be considered “up to date” with their COVID-19 vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC’s updated guidance, issued Aug. 30, states that children — as young as 6 months old — should get either two doses of the 2024-2025 Moderna vaccine or three doses of the 2024-2025 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

If getting the new Pfizer shot, the baby is supposed to receive the first dose at 6 months, the second dose three weeks later and the third dose at least eight weeks after the second dose — meaning, that by 9 months old, babies are supposed to have received three Pfizer shots.

Children’s Health Defense (CHD) CEO Mary Holland told The Defender, “The earlier COVID shots have been proven unsafe and ineffective. Now we’re asked to believe that newer versions are miraculously safe and effective?”

“This is an insult to people’s intelligence,” she said, “I pray that parents will have the good sense to say no to these dangerous and unnecessary shots for babies.”

As of July 28, 37,814 deaths following COVID-19 vaccination had been reported to VAERS, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, run by the FDA and CDC.

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It has since been shared and promoted as evidence that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is dangerous for babies.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. : The CDC recommends THREE Pfizer Covid shots for babies by age 9 months. These shots are unsafe and ineffective, especially over the long term. And babies are at near-zero risk from Covid. So whose benefit is the CDC serving here?

Liz Churchill : This is murder.

Mary Talley Bowden : All babies are expected to get 3 C0VID shots before their 1st birthday.

Eliminating mandates is not enough.
All risk, no benefit.
Profits over safety.
Any other product would have been pulled off the market a long time ago.

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CDC : 3 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are safe + effective for babies

In this article, I will go through some of their points, and show you what the facts really are!

Fact #1 : FDA authorised Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for babies

First, let’s start by pointing out that the US FDA just authorised the latest, updated Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, including for babies 6 months or older:

Unvaccinated individuals 6 months through 4 years of age are eligible to receive three doses of the updated, authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or two doses of the updated, authorized Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.

Individuals 6 months through 4 years of age who have previously been vaccinated against COVID-19 are eligible to receive one or two doses of the updated, authorized Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines (timing and number of doses to administer depends on the previous COVID-19 vaccine received).

In other words – there is nothing wrong with the CDC’s recommendation that the babies as young as 6 months old should receive 3 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

Fact #2 : FDA authorised two COVID-19 vaccines for babies

In fact, the US FDA actually authorised two COVID-19 vaccines for babies 6 months and older (archive):

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (2024-2025 Formula) for individuals 6 months through 11 years of age
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (2024-2025 Formula) for individuals 6 months through 11 years of age

So why is Children’s Health Defense article focusing only on the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine? After all, the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is also based on a similar mRNA platform.

Does this mean that Children’s Health Defense believes only the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is dangerous for babies, but not the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine? Why only Pfizer, but not Moderna – they didn’t say.

In that case, well, just go ahead and opt for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine! Problem solved for people who are hesitant about the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for babies.

Fact #3 : EUA undergoes same approval process

In case you are wondering – the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has full FDA approval for children and adults who are 12 years and older, and is authorised for emergency use in children between 6 months and 11 years of age.

This does not mean that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is dangerous or ineffective in children. After all, both EUA and full FDA approval undergo the same approval process, with this major difference in post-study follow-up:

EUA : At least half of the participants in the studies must be followed for at least two months after vaccination.
Full FDA Approval : All of the participants in the studies must be followed for at least six months.

In addition, full FDA approval requires more details on manufacturing plans and processes, as well as extra time for FDA to conduct oversight and inspections of manufacturing facilities.

You can read more about the differences between full FDA approval, and Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) here.

Fact #4 : Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was proven safe + effective for babies

As the Mayo Clinic points out, both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were tested to confirm their safety and effectiveness in children aged 6 months and older:

To find out the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 6 months through 4 and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months through 17 years old, the FDA looked at the immune responses of children in these age groups after they were fully vaccinated.

The FDA compared those responses to the immune responses of young adults who’d been given higher doses of the same mRNA vaccine.

As with the other vaccines, side effects were recorded. Some of the children were monitored for safety for at least two months after being fully vaccinated.

So it would be false to suggest that the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was never tested in babies as young as 6 months old.

Fact #5 : VAERS reports are unverified

The Children’s Health Defense article said that there were “37,814 deaths following COVID-19 vaccination had been reported to VAERS, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, run by the FDA and CDC.”

As I pointed out many times before, VAERS data is unverified, and notoriously susceptible to abuse, and false reporting. That’s because it’s an open system that anyone – not just doctors, can report anything they want.

In addition, the reports may be duplicated and have not been verified to be related to the vaccine or drug in question. That’s why VAERS specifically warns against using its reports to reach any conclusion about the risks or safety of vaccines / drugs in question.

But that is probably why anti-vaccination activists love using VAERS data – it’s unverified, and very susceptible to abuse and false reporting.

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did WEF order governments to declare bird flu martial law?!

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Did the WEF just order world governments to declare martial law due to an imminent bird flu pandemic?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : WEF orders governments to declare bird flu martial law!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims that the WEF (World Economic Forum) just ordered world governments to declare martial law due to an imminent bird flu pandemic!

Here is an excerpt of that long and (intentionally???) confusing article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

WEF Orders Govt’s To Declare Martial Law Due to ‘Imminent Bird Flu Pandemic’ About To Sweep Globe

The World Economic Forum has ordered world governments to make the necessary preparations to declare martial law due to an ‘imminent bird flu pandemic’ which they say is ‘100 times worse’ than COVID-19.

According to WEF scientists, the coming bird flu pandemic will kill at least 50% of those it infects.

“We had not seen avian flu in cattle prior to last week. That is new,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen warned the Washington Post this week. “It is a reservoir for [the] virus to circulate and potentially change.”

The Daily Mail spoke with Big Pharma insider John Fulton about the outbreak, with Fulton telling the outlet, “This appears to be 100 times worse than COVID — or it could be if it mutates and maintains its high case fatality rate.”

In a scenario strikingly similar to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. and Chinese governments were working together on avian flu gain-of-function research, which makes viruses more infectious for humans.

GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky shared a screenshot of a February 2024 Daily Mail article with the headline, “REVEALED: US is collaborating with Chinese scientists to make bird flu strains more infectious and deadly as part of $1m project – despite fears similar tests unleashed Covid.”

“Where have we seen this before? U.S. collaborates with China to make bird flu more contagious and transmissible to mammals. bird flu now discovered in U.S. dairy cattle, transmitted to at least one human being. Knock it off already!” Massie wrote.

The World Health Organization warned of a potential bird flu outbreak back in February of 2023, and the U.S. started work on producing vaccines for both birds and humans.

It’s extremely bizarre that the potential outbreak is taking place during an election year (just like Covid) and that the establishment has already been steering people away from consuming cow meat and milk as well as chicken meat and eggs.

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Truth : WEF did not order governments to declare bird flu martial law!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : WEF did not order any bird flu martial law

Let me start by pointing out that the WEF (World Economic Forum) did not order any government to declare martial law over bird flu.

If that actually happened, it would have been reported by the media worldwide, and criticised by people on social media. Yet, none of that occurred, because the WEF never made such a declaration.

Unsurprisingly, The People’s Voice article provided no evidence to back up its ridiculous claim.

Fact #2 : WEF cannot order governments to do anything

I should also point out that the World Economic Forum (WEF) cannot order any country to implement anything, much less martial law. It is merely an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) that focuses on public-private sector collaboration.

The WEF has no power over governments, beyond its lobbying and influencing efforts. The WEF may be an influential lobbying organisation, but it cannot order governments to do anything.

Fact #3 : WEF does not have scientists

Again, the WEF is an NGO that promotes public-private collaborations. It doesn’t actually have scientists conducting research on bird flu, or other diseases.

To be clear – Mandy Cohen is the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and does not work for the WEF. Neither is John Fulton – a pharmaceutical industry consultant for vaccines, a scientist working for the WEF.

Unsurprisingly, The People’s Voice article provided no evidence to back up its claim that WEF scientists said that “the upcoming bird flu pandemic will kill at least 50% of those it infects“.

Fact #4 : There is no need to declare martial law

The term “martial law” appears to used to trigger outrage, and encourage people into sharing this piece of misinformation.

The truth is – even if there is a new pandemic, there is no need for any country to declare martial law. As the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, countries have existing public health laws to initiate lockdowns or quarantines.

Martial law is only needed if there is a serious threat of violence that the police cannot handle. While bird flu viruses may be lethal, they cannot pick up guns and threaten people with violence. So what’s the point of declaring martial law?

Fact #5 : The People’s Voice is known for fake news

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice. Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did CDC redact all 148 pages of its mRNA myocarditis study?!

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Did the CDC redact all 148 pages of its MOVING study on myocarditis after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : CDC Redacted All 148 Pages Of mRNA Myocarditis Study!

People are claiming or suggesting that the CDC released its 148-page MOVING vaccine myocarditis study with 100% of its pages redacted!

The Vigilant Fox / Vigilant News : CDC Releases Paper on Myocarditis After COVID Vaccination, and EVERY WORD Is Redacted

“148 pages. The entire thing is redacted. What good does a study do if there’s nothing there?”

There’s obviously something very damning that they’re trying to hide.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr : The level of arrogance and contempt for the public in releasing a 100% redacted document is staggering. The CDC is thumbing their nose at the Freedom of Information Act.

Without transparency, there is no such thing as democracy. When I’m President, the CDC won’t get to decide what the public can see. Everything will be out in the open, and you won’t need a FOIA request to read any taxpayer-funded data.

Peter McCullough : One more example of all trust lost with @CDCgov
Agency releases vaccine myocarditis manuscript with all pages redacted so patient and scientific community is blocked from learning more about this deadly COVID-19 vaccine side effect.

The People’s Voice : CDC Redacts Every Single Word of 148-Page Study on Myocarditis After Covid Vaccination

The Gateway Pundit : CDC Finally Releases 148 Page Study on Myocarditis Following COVID Vaccine – And EVERY SINGLE WORD is Redacted!

Hans Mahncke : The CDC “released” a 148 page study on myocarditis after COVID-19 “vaccination” and every single page is completely redacted. This must be a new record.

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Truth : CDC Did Not Redact Its mRNA Myocarditis Study!

This is yet another example of fake news created or promoted by anti-vaccine activists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : It Was CDC Document, Not Study

Let me start by pointing out that the 148-page “study” was not a study, but a document released by the CDC to The Epoch Times after its Freedom of Information Act request for “information about the CDC’s MOVING project”.

Even Zachary Stieber of The Epoch Times, who posted the document (PDF), did not label it as a study. He stated that it was a FOIA-released document on the CDC’s long-term study on myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination:

Seeing some confusion about this document: It’s a CDC document sent to us in response to a Freedom of Information Act request and is fully redacted. The request asked for information about the CDC’s MOVING project.

There is no indication that the documents contained any actual CDC study. So why would anyone claim that this 148-page document was a CDC myocarditis study???

Fact #2 : Document Was Redacted Under (b)(5) Privilege

Whenever a US government agency redacts a document, it has to label the redaction so the recipient has an idea why the information was redacted.

I went through the entire 148-page CDC document, and noticed that they were all redacted under the (b)(5) privilege. The (b)(5) redaction applies only to “inter-agency” or “intra-agency” letters or memorandums that “would not be available by law” to anyone except those that are “in litigation” with the agencies.

Exemption 5, 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(5), applies to “inter-agency or intra-agency memorandums or letters that would not be available by law to a party other than an agency in litigation with the agency,” which has been interpreted to incorporate civil litigation privileges.

(A privilege is a legal rule that protects communications within certain relationships from compelled disclosure in a court proceeding.)

In other words – there is nothing nefarious about the redactions, and they do not conceal any study.

The redacted pages were simply letters or memorandum that would not be made available by law, except to those who have sued the CDC, or the agency / agencies involved in those letters or memorandums.

They may, for example, contain personal information of the study participants, or other confidential information that the CDC is not permitted to release by law, except in cases of litigation.

Fact #3 : CDC Study Was Already Published Publicly!

There is also no indication that the CDC is attempting to cover up the findings of its MOVING (Myocarditis outcomes after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination) study. After all, the CDC already published its initial study in The Lancet, on 21 September 2022 – more than 1.5 years ago!

Even Zachary Stieber acknowledged that, and provided the same link to the MOVING study in The Lancet. He also pointed out that the CDC told The Epoch Times in January 2024 that it planned to submit another paper with updated findings for peer review.

The CDC plans to submit another paper on updated findings from the project for peer review, a spokesperson told us in January.

To be clear – the CDC published its first study more than 1.5 years ago on the results from its MOVING project on monitoring myocarditis outcomes after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.

And when its updated MOVING study paper is peer-reviewed and published, it will also be available for public consumption. What exactly is being covered up here???

Fact #4 : Most mRNA Myocarditis Cases Recovered After 90 Days

According to the CDC study that was published in September 2022, its MOVING project collected data on 519 young people who developed myocarditis after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.

It found that most individuals recovered from myocarditis after 90 days, with normal or back-to-baseline:

troponin levels : 91%
echocardiograms : 94%
electrocardiograms : 77%
exercise stress testing : 90%
ambulatory rhythm monitoring : 90%

On top of that, the study concluded that “the quality of life measures were comparable to those in pre-pandemic and early pandemic populations of a similar age“.

Fact #5 : There Are Many Studies On Post-Vaccination Myocarditis

Claims that the CDC is attempting to hide its data by redacting documents is also not logical, because other organisations and research teams have already published multiple studies on post-vaccination myocarditis and/or pericarditis. For example:

Myopericarditis following COVID-19 vaccination and non-COVID-19 vaccination: a systematic review and meta-analysis (link) by Ryan Ruiyang Ling et. al.
Myocarditis and Pericarditis after COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines (PDF) by Public Health Ontario
Systematic review and meta-analysis of myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescents following COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccination (link) by Patrick D.M.C. Katoto et. al.
SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination and Myocarditis in a Nordic Cohort Study of 23 Million Residents (link) by Øystein Karlstad et. al.
Clinical outcomes of myocarditis after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in four Nordic countries: population based cohort study (link) by Anders Busby et. al.

Not only are these studies publicly available, they confirm CDC findings that post-vaccination myocarditis is rare, and most patients recovered within 90 days.

Fact #6 : COVID-19 Myocarditis Is More Common

What anti-vaccine activists may not tell you is that COVID-19 is known to cause myocarditis. In fact, the CDC reported in September 2021 that COVID-19 patients have nearly 16X the risk of developing myocarditis:

During March 2020–January 2021, patients with COVID-19 had nearly 16 times the risk for myocarditis compared with patients who did not have COVID-19, and risk varied by sex and age.

The findings in this report underscore the importance of implementing evidence-based COVID-19 prevention strategies, including vaccination, to reduce the public health impact of COVID-19 and its associated complications.

The risk of dying from COVID-19 myocarditis (13.54% of cases) is also almost 5X higher than non-COVID-19 myocarditis (2.88% of cases), according to a 2022 German study.

If you are worried about dying from myocarditis, well, you should certainly want to avoid getting a COVID-19 infection!

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did study find Long COVID patients all received mRNA vaccine?!

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Did a new study find that Long COVID patients all received the mRNA vaccine for COVID-19?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Study Found Long COVID Patients All Received mRNA Vaccine!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claimed or suggested that a new study found that Long COVID patients all received the mRNA vaccine for COVID-19!

Official Study Finds All Patients With Long COVID Had Received mRNA Vaccine

A new study has found that the majority of patients who experienced so-called ‘long COVID’ were actually suffering side-effects from the harmful vaccine.

“Despite the extensive distribution of vaccines and antiviral therapies, the prevalence of long COVID remains high,” the authors of the paper wrote.

Although definitions of long COVID differ, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) broadly defines long COVID as “signs, symptoms, and conditions that continue to develop after acute COVID-19 infection” that can last for “weeks, months, or years.” The term “long COVID” also includes post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, long-haul COVID, and post-acute COVID-19.

Studies Link Long COVID to Vaccination

A February report published by the CDC found that more than 8 percent of participants in seven U.S. states reported having experienced long COVID symptoms. In West Virginia, almost 11 percent of survey participants reported long COVID symptoms. However, the agency did not disclose whether survey respondents were vaccinated.

Some research suggests long COVID may be caused by an immune overreaction to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that COVID-19 vaccines use to induce antibodies and that vaccination causes some people to generate a second round of antibodies that target the first.

In a February 2023 study published in the Journal of Medical Virology, researchers analyzed the levels of spike protein and viral RNA in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 with and without long COVID. They found that spike protein and viral RNA were more likely to be present in patients with long COVID.

In an August 2023 study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers found the risk of long COVID was lower in those who had previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the risk of getting long COVID did not differ by vaccination status. Researchers found that unvaccinated people infected with omicron had the lowest risk of long COVID.

In a 2023 study in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, researchers studied the serum of 81 individuals with long COVID. They found viral spike protein in one patient after the infection had cleared despite having a negative COVID-19 test, and vaccine spike protein in two patients two months after vaccination.

In a December 2022 study published in PLoS One, researchers found patients were more likely to experience long COVID if they had preexisting medical conditions, a higher number of symptoms during the acute phase of COVID-19 illness, if their infection was more severe or resulted in hospitalization, or if they had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

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Truth : Study Did Not Find Long COVID Patients All Received mRNA Vaccine!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : mRNA Vaccines Were Not Mentioned In Study

Let me start by pointing out that the study in question never even mentioned mRNA vaccines. In fact, the word “mRNA” does not appear in the paper at all!

You can read the paper in full, and look for yourself – Long-COVID Prevalence and Its Association with Health Outcomes in the Post-Vaccine and Antiviral-Availability Era by Ramida Jangnin et. al.

So why would anyone claim that this study showed that all patients with Long COVID received the mRNA vaccine???

Fact #2 : Thailand Used A Mix Of Vaccines

On top of that, Thailand uses a mix of COVID-19 vaccines – a majority of which were the Oxford-AstraZeneca, and CoronaVac vaccines, both of which are not mRNA vaccines.

So it is more likely that not that the majority of patients in that study did not receive the mRNA vaccine.

Fact #3 : It Was An Observational Study By Telephone

I should also point out that it was an observational study. Observational studies like this cannot prove causality. Perhaps that’s why the study authors themselves pointed out that further prospective research is needed to establish any causality.

However, given the observational nature of our study, further prospective research is needed to establish causal relationships, and longitudinal studies are advised to track the evolution of long-COVID symptoms over time.

To be clear – you cannot use observational studies like this as evidence of causality. This study does not show that COVID-19 vaccines cannot prevent Long COVID. Neither does it show that COVID-19 vaccines increase the risk of Long COVID.

You can read more about this in my earlier fact checking of The Epoch Health’s article on the same study.

Fact #4 : Study Did Not Look At Vaccine Effect On Long COVID

I should also point out that this Thai study was not actually designed to look at the effect of mRNA COVID-19 vaccination on Long COVID.

Not only did it not have a control group of unvaccinated people, almost all of its participants received both COVID-19 vaccinations and antiviral treatment!

In fact, the study did not mention whether anyone was unvaccinated. So it is highly likely that all its participants were at least either fully-vaccinated, or had antiviral treatment!

The cohort consisted of 390 participants… Among them, 96.7% (n = 377) were vaccinated, and 98.2% (n = 383) underwent antiviral treatment.

So how do we know if the Long COVID was caused by the COVID-19 infection itself, the COVID-19 vaccines, or the antiviral treatment? We don’t, because this observational study was never designed to elicit such information in the first place!

Fact #5 : Almost All Study Participants Were Vaccinated!

I should stress yet again, that almost all of the participants (94.8%) in this Thai study were fully vaccinated:

40.5% received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, while
54.3% received two doses, and a booster dose.

This is important because such a study would inevitably show that people who were vaccinated can suffer from Long COVID. That doesn’t mean that the vaccines cause Long COVID.

If the same study was conducted on only male patients, it would show that only men had Long COVID. Would that mean that only men get Long COVID? Of course, not. That is only the perception that you may get if the study was conducted on only men.

Fact #6 : Studies Do Not Link Long COVID To Vaccines

The People’s Voice article included a list of studies it claimed or suggested show a link between Long COVID and mRNA (or other types of COVID-19) vaccines. That’s not accurate:

The February 2024 report by the CDC did not link Long COVID to vaccination. In fact, the CDC report pointed out that “information about COVID-19 vaccination … is not included in this report“.

The February 2023 study published in the Journal of Medical Virology only looked at levels of spike proteins and viral RNA in COVID-19 patients. It did not mention anything about vaccines, or link Long COVID to vaccination.

The August 2023 study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases only showed that that the risk of Long COVID was higher with the wild-type SARS-CoV-2, compared to the Alpha, Delta and Omicron variants. It did not show a link between COVID-19 vaccines and Long COVID.

The 2023 study in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences only identified viral spike protein in one COVID-19 patient, and vaccine spike protein in two patients after COVID-19 vaccination, out of 81 Long COVID patients. It did not show a link between the Long COVID and vaccination.

The December 2022 study in PLoS One did not conclude that receiving COVID-19 vaccines was a predictor of long COVID, calling it “an observational paradox” and a “collider bias” due to their study only looking at patients who received hospital care. I wrote an extensive article on this earlier, after The Epoch Times (again?!) covered it as “a new study“.

Fact #7 : Studies Have Shown Vaccines Reduce Long COVID Risk

Many prior studies, involving millions of people – both vaccinated and unvaccinated, have concluded that COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of Long COVID.

A March 2024 study published in The Lancet, involving over 20 million people in the UK, Spain and Estonia, concluded that “vaccination against COVID-19 consistently reduced the risk of long COVID symptoms, which highlights the importance of vaccination to prevent persistent COVID-19 symptoms, particularly in adults“.

A February 2024 study published in Nature Communications, involving 1.1 million patients in Hong Kong, provided “real-world evidence supporting the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in reducing the risk of long-term health consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its persistence following infection“.

A March 2023 meta-analysis of 17 different studies on the effects of vaccines on Long COVID concluded that:

The evidence presented herein recommends SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for the prevention of long COVID in breakthrough cases. Furthermore, evidence does not support that SARS-CoV-2 vaccination exacerbates long COVID symptoms. Thus, most patients with long COVID should be vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2.

As you can see – much larger studies have already shown that COVID-19 vaccines not only do not increase the risk of Long COVID, getting vaccinated will actually reduce your risk of getting Long COVID should you get infected.

Hence, it is no surprise that the US CDC has pointed out that “Vaccination offers protection against the prolonged effects of #COVID19“.

Fact #8 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Were Majority Of Long COVID Patients Vaccinated?!

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Did a new study just show that majority of Long COVID patients were vaccinated?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Majority Of Long COVID Patients Were Vaccinated!

People are sharing an Epoch Times article, which claims that a study just found that majority of Long COVID patients were vaccinated!

Here is an excerpt from the Epoch Times article, which people are using to suggest or imply that the COVID-19 vaccines are either useless, or increase the risk of developing Long COVID.

Study Finds Majority of Patients With Long COVID Were Vaccinated

Mass vaccination and available antiviral treatments have not prevented vaccinated individuals from experiencing lingering COVID-19 symptoms.

A recent study found that the majority of patients who suffered from long COVID during a time when vaccines and antiviral treatments were widely available were vaccinated.

The observational study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, researchers interviewed 390 people in Thailand who contracted COVID-19 during the “fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic” when the omicron variant was dominant. Patients were followed by phone from three months after their diagnosis for a year to monitor their physical condition, mental health, sleep disturbances, and quality of life.

Out of 390 people with COVID-19, 377 (97 percent) were vaccinated, 383 (98 percent) underwent antiviral treatment, and 330 (78 percent) developed long COVID syndrome. The most frequently reported symptoms were fatigue and cough. Other reported symptoms included depression, anxiety, and poor sleep quality. The study found that patients under age 60 with a cough as an initial symptom were more likely to develop the condition. In a subset of patients with long COVID, researchers found a notable correlation in females with headaches, dizziness, and brain fog.

Studies Link Long COVID to Vaccination

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Truth : Vaccines Reduce Risk Of Long COVID!

Let’s take a look at the claims made in the Epoch Times article, and find out what the facts really are!

Fact #1 : It Was An Observational Study By Telephone

Let me start by pointing out that the study in question was an observational study that was conducted by telephone. You can read the paper in full – Long-COVID Prevalence and Its Association with Health Outcomes in the Post-Vaccine and Antiviral-Availability Era by Ramida Jangnin et. al.

This is important because it appears that the 390 patients were not clinically diagnosed with Long COVID. Rather, they were diagnosed with COVID-19, and the researchers interviewed them by “telephone every three months for a period of one year“.

In short – the reliability of the Long COVID diagnosis is highly dependent on what the patients reported, or are willing to tell the researchers. In addition, the list of physical and mental symptoms the researchers looked at are not exclusive to Long COVID, and may be manifestations of pre-existing or unrelated ailments:

physical : fatigue, cough, sore throat, rhinorrhea (runny nose)
mental : attention deficit, sleep disturbance, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder

Observational studies like this cannot prove causality. Perhaps that’s why the study authors themselves pointed out that further prospective research is needed to establish any causality.

Fact #2 : Study Did Not Look At Vaccine Effect On Long COVID

I should also point out that this Thai study was not actually designed to look at the effect of COVID-19 vaccination alone on Long COVID.

Not only did it not have a control group of unvaccinated people, almost all of its participants received both COVID-19 vaccinations and antiviral treatment!

In fact, the study did not mention whether anyone was unvaccinated. So it is highly likely that all its participants were at least either fully-vaccinated, or had antiviral treatment!

The cohort consisted of 390 participants… Among them, 96.7% (n = 377) were vaccinated, and 98.2% (n = 383) underwent antiviral treatment.

Fact #3 : Almost All Study Participants Were Vaccinated!

I should stress yet again, that almost all of the participants (94.8%) in this Thai study were fully vaccinated:

40.5% received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, while
54.3% received two doses, and a booster dose.

This is important because such a study would inevitably show that people who were vaccinated can suffer from Long COVID. That doesn’t mean that the vaccines cause Long COVID.

Fact #4 : Studies Do Not Link Long COVID To Vaccines

The Epoch Times article included a list of studies it claimed or suggested show a link between Long COVID and vaccination. That’s not accurate:

The February 2024 report by the CDC did not link Long COVID to vaccination. In fact, the CDC report pointed out that “information about COVID-19 vaccination … is not included in this report“.

Fact #5 : Studies Have Shown Vaccines Reduce Long COVID Risk

Many prior studies, involving millions of people – both vaccinated and unvaccinated, have concluded that COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of Long COVID.

A March 2023 meta-analysis of 17 different studies on the effects of vaccines on Long COVID concluded that:

Hence, it is no surprise that the US CDC has pointed out that “Vaccination offers protection against the prolonged effects of #COVID19“.

Fact #6 : The Epoch Times Is Known For Misinformation

The Epoch Times, a media company associated with the Falun Gong religious movement, is known for promoting conspiracy theories and misinformation. Here are some Epoch Times articles that I have fact checked in the past:

I would highly recommend that you do not believe, or share, any articles published or promoted by The Epoch Times, without first verifying their accuracy and the facts.

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CDC has no proof COVID-19 vaccines reduce spread + variants?!

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Does the CDC really have no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines reduce the spread of the virus, and help prevent new variants from emerging?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : CDC Has No Proof Vaccines Reduce Spread + Variants!

People are sharing a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Zachary Stieber of The Epoch Times, which claims or suggests that the CDC has no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines reduce the spread of the virus, and help prevent new variants from emerging.

Zachary Stieber : CDC says no records supporting COVID statement that “high vaccination coverage in a population reduces the spread of the virus and helps prevent new variants from emerging.”

Chief Nerd : Another CDC claim unravels…

Jay Bhattacharya : In response to journalist @ZackStieber’s letter, the CDC admits, in effect, that it embraced pseudo science when promulgating the idea that the vax prevents new variants from emerging, with no high quality science to support it.

IT Guy : That sound you hear is two years of nonstop narrative imploding.

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Truth : CDC Has Evidence Vaccines Reduce Spread + Variants!

Let’s take a look at what’s going on with this startling “new claim”, and find out what the facts really are!

Fact #1 : FOIA Is Only For Non-Public Information

Let me start by pointing out that the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows members of the public to request for documents that are not publicly available from US federal agencies (source).

Every US federal agency has a FOIA office that will process each request, which may include redacting sensitive or protected information if necessary. But if the information requested is already in the public domain, no such documents would be made available through a FOIA request.

Before making a request, first see if the information is already publicly available. You can find a lot of useful information on a range of topics on each agency’s website.

If the information you want is not publicly available, you can submit a FOIA request to the agency’s FOIA Office. The request simply must be in writing and reasonably describe the records you seek.

As you can see, it would be quite silly to submit a FOIA request for documents that are already available publicly… unless what you want is a letter from the agency stating it failed to locate any such documents?

Fact #2 : CDC Could Not Find Any Non-Public Documents

The CDC response to Zachary Stieber’s FOIA request is not an admission that it has no evidence or proof to back up its claim that high vaccination rates will reduce the spread of the virus, and help prevent new variants from emerging.

Rather, the CDC FOIA office appears to be informing Stieber that it could not find any non-public documents that it would be required to process under the Freedom of Information Act. In other words – all available information is in the public domain.

Fact #3 : FOIA Is Not For Basic Science Questions

The Freedom of Information Act is meant to provide transparency to US citizens through the full or partial disclosure of “previously unreleased or uncirculated information“. It is not meant for people to ask basic science questions.

You can’t use FOIA requests, for example, to ask for records from the CDC on how vaccines reduce the spread of a virus, or how vaccines can help prevent new virus variants from emerging. These are basic virology knowledge that are already available publicly!

Those who want to ask those questions should take up a course, or read some books on virology; not submit FOIA requests on such basic virology questions from the CDC. Of course, they would have no “unreleased” information on such basic topics!

It is therefore no surprise that the CDC FOIA office pointed out to Stieber that he was asking an academic question about the basics of virology.

Dear Mr. Stieber:

This letter is in response to your Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request of May 12, 2022, for:

Please provide documents supporting the CDC’s statement that “High vaccination coverage in a population reduces the spread of the virus and helps prevent new variants from emerging.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html.

A search of our records failed to reveal any documents pertaining to your request. Specifically, the EOC apprises as follows:

We do not have records related to this request, as the request puts forth what is really an academic question about the basics of virology.

You can literally picture the eye roll and face palm of the unfortunate CDC staffer processing this peculiar request.

Fact #4 : Studies Have Shown Vaccines Reduce Spread + Variants

The CDC reply also pointed out to Stieber that many studies have already shown that vaccines reduce infections and the spread of the virus; and that reducing infections mean there are fewer opportunities for the virus to replicate and mutate into new variants.

Many studies have been done concluding that viral infection and spread is lower among highly vaccinated populations. If infection and therefore replication are reduced, there are fewer opportunities for the virus to make errors during replication that might be selected for during infection, which is what leads to the emergence of new variants.

Too bad the CDC did not include a list of basic virology books to demonstrate how long ago such basic questions have been answered by science, and taught to medical students and allied health professionals.

Fact #5 : CDC Does Not Conduct Fundamental Research

The same CDC letter also points out to Stieber that it does not generally conduct such fundamental scientific research, and only applies fundamental research towards public health policies. Hence, it would have no documents to offer in response to his FOIA request.

CDC does not generally conduct research into such fundamentals, but rather applies fundamental research to public health.

As noted on its official Vaccine Effectiveness Studies page, the CDC collaborates with public health partners that actually conduct those studies, which it then uses to provide its advisories.

Fact #6 : This Is An Old Story

Frankly, this story about CDC not having any records to back up its claims that “High vaccination coverage in a population reduces the spread of the virus and helps prevent new variants from emerging” isn’t new.

The Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) – which has been labelled as one of the main anti-vaccination groups in the United States, posted a story about it on 10 May 2022. So it is interesting to see this being resurrected almost two years later. No new material?

Even ICAN was late to the party, because I pinpointed the first time the CDC made that claim to 4 October 2021. This was right after the CDC approved the first Pfizer vaccine booster dose in September 2021 for people 65 years and older, long-term care facility residents, and people with certain underlying conditions.

Can COVID-19 vaccines cause variants?

No. COVID-19 vaccines do not create or cause variants of the virus that causes COVID-19.

New variants of a virus happen because the virus that causes COVID-19 constantly changes through a natural ongoing process of mutation (change). Even before the COVID-19 vaccines, there were several variants of the virus. Looking ahead, variants are expected to continue to emerge as the virus continues to change.

COVID-19 vaccines can help prevent new variants from emerging. As it spreads, the virus has more opportunities to change. High vaccination coverage in a population reduces the spread of the virus and helps prevent new variants from emerging.

As you can see, the CDC already explained (back in October 2021!) how vaccines reduce new variants from emerging – by reducing infections in the population.

This is publicly available information. You don’t even need to submit a FOIA request!

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Lessons Learned Fact Check!

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Let’s take a look at the recent “peer-reviewed” study on the lessons learned about COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, and find out what the facts really are!

COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines: Lessons Learned??

Some people are excitedly sharing a “peer-reviewed” study on the lessons learned about COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, while calling for the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to be removed.

Mary Talley Bowden MD : Peer-reviewed article published in @CureusInc : COVID shots must be pulled off the market. If you are a physician or politician, now is the time to be on the right side of history.

Steve Kirsch : BREAKING: It’s now published in the peer-reviewed literature! The COVID vaccines should be stopped.

“Given the extensive, well-documented SAEs and unacceptably high harm-to-reward ratio, we urge governments to endorse a global moratorium on the modified mRNA products until all relevant questions pertaining to causality, residual DNA, and aberrant protein production are answered.”

Dr Jordan B Peterson : Stunning. 2024 is opening with a bang: an utterly damning report on the Covid “vaccines.”

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COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Lessons Learned : My Fact Check

Let’s go through the “peer-reviewed” study on the lessons learned about COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, and see what the facts really are!

Fact #1 : Cureus Relies On Post-Publication Peer Review

Let me start by pointing out that the journal Cureus relies on “post-publication peer review”. Even though this paper was marked as “peer-reviewed”, it was an “unusually fast” peer review.

Cureus uses “an unusually fast” peer-review process of just “a few days”, and relies heavily on “post-publication peer review”, as its Editor in Chief John R. Adler explained to Retraction Watch in 2015:

Yes, Cureus has an unusually fast review process, which is an important part of the journal’s philosophy. We believe that post publication peer review, a focus of our journal through commenting and our unique SIQ process, is potentially a more powerful way to discern truth.

In other words – the pre-publication peer review appears to be superficial, and Cureus relies on the scientific community to peer-review the papers after publication.

Fact #2 : It Regurgitates Long-Debunked Claims

The paper in question is called “COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines: Lessons Learned from the Registrational Trials and Global Vaccination Campaign” by Mead et. al. which includes anti-vaccine activists like Jessica Rose, Steve Kirsch, and Peter McCullough.

While it is being heralded as something new, the paper appears to be nothing more than a regurgitation of long-debunked claims about mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Let’s just take a look at a few:

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials Were Too Short?!

The paper claimed that no vaccine was permitted for market release without a testing period of at least four years, using the mumps vaccine by Merck as example. That’s not true.

The Mumpsvax (Jeryl Lynn strain) vaccine was developed and approved in a record four years, but its testing did not last four years. The mumps vaccine clinical trial in 1966 (abstract) only lasted 6 months.

This paper gives the results of a large field trial of the vaccine conducted among schoolchildren in North Carolina.

Vaccination was carried out in November 1966, every tenth child receiving a placebo preparation. Serum specimens were obtained at the time of vaccination and 4 weeks later from 556 children representing a cross-section of the total group of participants.

During the 180 days of post-vaccination surveillance, 56 cases of mumps were reported among the study population and 69 cases among non-participants.

There is no requirement by health authorities that testing or assessing any vaccine should last 10 years. The typical vaccine development time of 10-15 years is not a reflection of how much time a clinical trial needs to run, but rather the time it “generally” takes to create a vaccine, gather resources, get approvals, run clinical trials, process the data, file for approval, etc.

COVID-19 vaccines were so quickly developed because scientists all over the world collaborated on the effort, while governments funded their development, and fast-tracked their clinical trials and manufacturing preparations.

The speedy development of COVID-19 vaccines was also enabled by new vaccine platforms using mRNA or DNA technologies, in which genetic information from the new virus only needed to be “plugged in” to produce a new vaccine.

More importantly – the paper provided no evidence that the accelerated development of COVID-19 vaccines has actually resulted in unsafe vaccines.

mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Were Not Proven Safe / Effective?

The Mead et. al. paper claimed or suggested that the clinical trials did not show that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were safe or effective because too few people in the unvaccinated (placebo) group died from COVID-19.

Well, not only is that a “misunderstanding” of the clinical trial results (see the next section), many studies have been conducted into the safety and efficacy of the mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 since they were deployed.

Those real world studies (example, example, example) consistently showed that the mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 are safe and effective.

Low Absolute Risk Shows No Need To Vaccinate?!

The Mead et. al. paper repeats the old trope that the low absolute risk (AR) seen in the mRNA vaccine clinical trials mean there is no need for anyone to get vaccinated. That’s simply not true, and is a (deliberate?) misunderstanding of statistical calculations.

The Absolute Risk Reduction (ARR) will “always appear low” because it depends very much on the “event rate”. As the Meedan Health Desk explained:

Let’s say a study enrolled 20,000 patients into the control group and 20,000 in the vaccine group. In that study, 200 people in the control group got sick and 0 people in the vaccine group got sick.

Even though the vaccine efficacy would be a whopping 100%, the ARR would show that vaccines reduce the absolute risk by just 1% (200/20,000= 1%).

For the ARR to increase to 20% in our example study with a vaccine with 100% efficacy, 4,000 of the 20,000 people in the control group would have to get sick (4,000/20,000= 20%).

Hence, the Relative Risk Reduction (RRR) is used instead to determine a vaccine’s efficacy, because it tells us how much risk is reduced in the vaccinated group, compared to the unvaccinated control group.

To be clear – the clinical trials and post-vaccination monitoring and studies have clearly shown that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing severe disease and deaths from COVID-19.

mRNA Vaccines Do Not Prevent Transmission?!

The Mead et. al. paper claimed that the CDC said that “COVID-19 products would stop transmission”, but in the end “COVID-19 mRNA products do not prevent transmission or infection”. Well, that’s not really true.

For one thing – the CDC never said that COVID-19 vaccines would stop transmission. In fact, the CDC article the paper linked to only said that the vaccines appear to reduce (not stop) transmission:

… a growing body of evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccines also reduce asymptomatic infection and transmission.

To be clear – the COVID-19 vaccines were primarily designed to reduce or prevent severe disease and death, which is why transmission for not an endpoint for their clinical trials. It would have been a nice bonus to block transmission completely, but partially reducing transmission is not too bad.

mRNA Vaccines Have A Lot Of AESIs?!

The Mead et. al. paper warns us about the many Adverse Events of Special Interest (AESI) reported after COVID-19 vaccinations. The problem is – those AESI are not actual vaccine side effects!

The AESI list for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for example has 9 pages of 1,291 adverse events, but that is not a list of the mRNA vaccine side effects. It is a list of “adverse events” that Pfizer must look for during the post-vaccination monitoring period. Not only are these “adverse events” not specific to the Pfizer mRNA vaccine, they include:

diseases like Herpes, MERS, Varicella, and other “communicable disease”,
exposure to SARS-CoV-2,
manufacturing and lab test issues, and even…
product availability and supply issues!

Needless to say – those adverse events are not vaccine side effects, or are any indication of vaccine performance or safety in any way.

Lots Of Deaths + Hospitalisation Were Reported?!

The Mead et. al. paper also claimed that two large drug safety reporting systems in the US and Europe have over 7.8 million reports of adverse events, with “death, hospitalisations, and life-threatening reactions”. It is probably referring to VAERS and EudraVigilance.

The thing is – VAERS / Yellow Card / EudraVigilance data are all unverified, and may contain duplicated information. That’s why they are all prefaced with warnings like:

they may contain duplicated information and/or reports
the reported event may be caused by an illness, like a COVID-19 infection for example,
the reported event may be caused by a different drug taken by the patient at the same time
they have not been assessed by health authorities to ascertain if it’s even “biologically plausible”

In addition, open systems like VAERS, or the UK Yellow Card system, are very susceptible to abuse because they allow anyone from anywhere to post anything they want, without evidence or verification.

Anti-vaccination activists can, for example, key in unlimited numbers of adverse reaction reports, even if they never received a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine!

Autopsy Reports Show Deaths Caused By Vaccines?!

The Mead et. al. paper claimed that “autopsy studies” showed that 74% of deaths were “judged to have been caused by the COVID-19 mRNA products”.

The problem is – the study it referred to was a preprint by one of its own authors – Peter McCullough, that was removed by The Lancet for violating its “screening criteria”.

This preprint has been removed by Preprints with The Lancet because the study’s conclusions are not supported by the study methodology. Preprints with The Lancet reserves the right to remove a paper that has been posted if we determine that it has violated our screening criteria.

Not only was that study just a “review” of autopsy reports, many of the cases had other far more likely causes of death.

mRNA Vaccines Are Contaminated By DNA?!

The paper suggested that the mRNA vaccines are contaminated with DNA “orders of magnitude higher than the EMA’s limit”.

The truth is – residual DNA is found in all biological products manufactured using cells, and has not shown any health risk after being studied for many decades.

In any case, the amount of residual DNA in mRNA vaccines were found to be far below regulatory limits.

Pfizer Vaccine Has DNA From SV40 Virus That Causes Cancer?!

The paper also warned about the Simian Virus 40 (SV40) promoter found in samples of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine. Why? Because it warns – the SV40 virus “induces lymphomas, brain tumors, and other malignancies in laboratory animals”.

First of all – after decades of studies, there is still no conclusive evidence that the SV40 virus can cause cancers in humans. However, out of an abundance of caution, the SV40 virus is considered to potentially cause cancer in humans.

In any case, the SV40 promoter is a DNA sequence that is often used to manufacture mRNA, and is not dangerous. It certainly poses no cancer risk, because the part of the SV40 that can potentially cause cancer – the T-antigen, is not present in the SV40 promoter, or the Pfizer mRNA vaccine.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Infowars Proven Wrong About Biden Face Mask Mandate!

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Infowars has been proven wrong about its claims that the Biden Administration will introduce a face mask mandate in September 2023!

Claim : Biden Admin Will Order Face Mask Mandate!

People have been sharing an Infowars article which claimed that the Biden Administration will order a new face mask mandate for TSA and airport employees, followed by “full Covid lockdowns“. Here is an excerpt:

Biden Regime to Reinstate COVID-19 Restrictions Beginning with Mask Mandate as “COVID Cases Rise”, Say TSA and Border Patrol Whistleblowers

The Biden regime is preparing to reinstate full COVID-19 lockdowns, beginning with masking mandates for TSA and airport employees reportedly as early as mid-September, Infowars first to report.

A high-level TSA official reached out to Infowars, detailing a Tuesday meeting where TSA managers were informed of new memorandums and policies that would reimplement mask-wearing.

These policies will reinstate the mask mandate for TSA and airport employees starting in mid-September.

The official added that by mid-October, mask-wearing will be mandated for pilots, flight staff, passengers, and all airport patrons.

Following this disclosure from the TSA official, Infowars reached out to a trusted Border Patrol source, also in a managerial position.

This source corroborated the directives, confirming that similar measures were being planned for Border Patrol personnel.

“They were told it was not a matter of “if” but “when” official Covid numbers will go back up and they expect by mid-October a return to forced-masking policies that the Biden administration previously only reluctantly ended after massive pressure,” Infowars reported.

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Infowars Proven Wrong About Biden Face Mask Mandate!

Infowars first claimed on August 18, 2023, that TSA and Border whistleblowers leaked information about a rollout of “full Covid restrictions”, which would include a face mask mandate in September, followed by full Covid lockdowns in December.

Well, it is now October 3, 2023, and there is nary a sight of any face mask mandate for TSA or airport employees in the United States. Infowars has been proven WRONG yet again.

Frankly, that’s hardly surprising. Alex Jones and/or Infowars never actually showed any evidence that the Biden Administration is planning to introduce a face mask mandate for air travel, much less full COVID-19 restrictions which would include lockdowns.

If you watch the video above, you can see that Alex Jones has a ton of paper on his table. Unfortunately, none of them were the leaked memorandum or policy documents from his TSA and Border Patrol whistleblowers.

Rather, they appear to be nothing more than printed copies of news articles! Alex Jones never showed any evidence of the “planned COVID-19 protocols” that were supposed to roll out in the middle of September 2023.

And it’s already October 2023, without a single TSA agent or Border Patrol officer required to wear a face mask in the United States.

I should point out that lockdowns are, frankly, no longer necessary because a combination of vaccines and prior infections have given people significant protection against COVID-19 infections.

Even though cases are spiking due to new variants (which are more adept at evading protection), hospitals and healthcare workers are no longer overloaded with COVID-19 patients. In fact, there has been multiple waves of new COVID-19 variants, but they have not necessitated new lockdowns.

That’s why the WHO itself declared on 5 May 2023 that COVID-19 as a whole is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Instead, COVID-19 is now considered “an established and ongoing health issue“.

Finally, I should also point out that any order for a face mask mandate on public transportation, including airlines, would be issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevent, not the TSA or Border Control.

It was the US CDC that issued the first and only face mask mandate for public transportation in the United States (PDF download) on January 29, 2021. The TSA and Border Control had nothing to do with that, but only issued their own directives to comply with the CDC order.

However, the CDC face mask mandate was made “unenforceable” by court order on April 18, 2022, and expired when the Biden Administration ended the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023.

If the CDC ever issues another face mask mandate, it seems inevitable that it would be challenged in court, and made “unenforceable” by another court order. So what really is this panic over a “future” face mask mandate?

I should also point out that, long before the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers all over the world have had no issues wearing face masks to protect themselves and their patients. Seriously, stop being such a wuss.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Florida Anti-Vaccine Advice Slammed As Dangerous!

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Former Florida surgeon general Dr. Scott Rivkees and the CDC just publicly slammed the state’s advice against getting the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine!

Find out what he said, and what’s going on!

Florida Recommends Against 2023 Updated COVID-19 Vaccines!

Just one day after the CDC recommended that everyone 6 months and older should get the new 2023 updated COVID-19 vaccines, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo issued a statement recommending against people under 65 getting the updated vaccine.

In his statement, Ladapo claimed that getting the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines make it easier for people to get infected, while running risk of getting cardiac problems. Instead of getting the new COVID-19 vaccines, Ladapo recommends staying physically active outdoors, and eating more vegetables…

As the federal government makes new boosters for COVID-19 available, the Florida Department of Health (Department) reminds health care providers of their obligation to remain up to date with the current literature related to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

A new mRNA COVID-19 booster was approved on September 11, 2023, by the federal government. While the initial mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) utilizing human clinical trial data, the most recent booster approval was granted in the absence of any meaningful booster-specific clinical trial data performed in humans. In both cases the federal government has failed to provide sufficient data to support the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines. Health care providers are expected to include the information in this guidance in discussions with patients regarding the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

Based on the high rate of global immunity and currently available data, the State Surgeon General recommends against the COVID-19 booster for individuals under 65. Individuals 65 and older should discuss this information with their health care provider, including potential concerns outlined in this guidance.

Providers and patients should be aware of outstanding safety and efficacy concerns:

Throughout the pandemic, studies across geographic regions have found that the mRNA
COVID-19 vaccines are associated with negative effectiveness after 4 to 6 months. As efficacy waned, studies showed that COVID-19 vaccinated individuals developed an increased risk for infection. This is not found in other vaccines, including the flu vaccine.
The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines present a risk of subclinical and clinical myocarditis and other cardiovascular conditions among otherwise healthy individuals.
There is unknown risk of potential adverse impacts with each additional dose of the mRNA
COVID-19 vaccine; currently individuals may have received five to seven doses (and counting) of this vaccine over a 3-year period.
Elevated levels of spike protein from the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine persist among some individuals for an indefinite period of time, which may carry health risks.

Improving habits and overall health help manage and reduce the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. The State Surgeon General and the Department continue to encourage Floridians to prioritize their overall health by:

Staying physically active,
Minimizing processed foods,
Maximizing vegetables and healthy fats, and
Spending time outside to support necessary vitamin D levels.

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Former Surgeon General Slams Florida Vaccine Advice!

Former Florida surgeon general Dr. Scott Rivkees just publicly slammed the DeSantis administration and Dr. Joseph Ladapo for advising people against getting the updated 2023 COVID-19 vaccines.

Dr. Scott Rivkees preceded Dr. Joseph Ladapo as the state surgeon general, resigning in September 2021 after being shunned by Ron DeSantis for encouraging COVID-19 precautions when the Florida governor wanted virtually no preventive measures.

When the current Florida surgeon general issued that advice against getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine, he spoke up against it to USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida.

Dr. Rivkees, who is a pediatrician and now a professor at the Brown University School of Public Health, pointed out that the COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be “very safe” and “very effective”.

Rates of COVID vaccination are lower in Florida than they had been. I think the cumulative effect of this anti-vaccine messaging is being felt.

COVID is a vaccine preventable disease. These vaccines are very safe and very effective.

CDC Labels Florida Vaccine Advice As Dangerous!

The CDC also publicly criticised both Florida governor Ron DeSantis and his surgeon general Joseph Ladapo for advising against getting the updated 2023 COVID-19 vaccine, with CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen calling their comments “dangerous“.

Vaccination against COVID-19 remains the safest protection for avoiding hospitalizations, long-term health challenges, and death.

As we head into the fall and winter seasons, it is important that Americans get the updated COVID-19 vaccine. They are proven safe; they are effective, and they have been thoroughly and independently reviewed by the FDA and CDC.

Public health experts are in broad agreement about these facts, and efforts to undercut vaccine uptake are unfounded and dangerous.

The US FDA has also stated publicly that the new 2023 COVID-19 vaccines have been thoroughly reviewed and tested for safety:

The public can be assured that these updated vaccines have met the agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality.

We very much encourage those who are eligible to consider getting vaccinated.

– Peter Marks, Director of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research

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2023 COVID-19 Vaccines Have “A Lot Of Red Flags”?!

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Should you listen to Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo who claimed that the 2023 COVID-19 vaccines have “a lot of red flags”?!

Find out what he said, and what the facts really are!

Claim : 2023 COVID-19 Vaccines Have “A Lot Of Red Flags”

Days before the FDA approved the updated 2023 COVID-19 vaccines that the CDC later recommended for everyone 6 years and older, Florida’s Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo went on a rant.

During a “Mandate Freedom” press conference with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on September 7, 2023, Ladapo criticised the 2023 COVID-19 vaccines, claiming that there are “a lot of red flags”.

There’s a new vaccine that’s coming around the corner, a new mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and there’s essentially no evidence for it.

There’s been no clinical trial done in human beings showing that it benefits people. There’s been no clinical trial showing that it is a safe product for people — and not only that, but then there are a lot of red flags.

So something that you don’t hear much about, but we’ll be talking more about is that there are multiple studies now from around the world – Brazil, I think Australia, United States, that show that over time, these vaccines, these mRNA COVID-19 products actually increase your chances of contracting COVID-19.

That’s not normal, and unfortunately, you are going to have people who are going to get on television and try to explain why you should be comfortable with that, you should be comfortable with taking a product that ultimately, like its predecessors, increases your chance of contracting something.

No Evidence 2023 COVID-19 Vaccines Have “A Lot Of Red Flags”

Let’s take a look at the claims Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo made at the “Mandate Freedom” press conference, and see what the facts really are…

Fact #1 : Joseph Ladapo Was Appointed By Ron DeSantis

First, I think it is important to note that most US states do not have a surgeon general. State surgeon generals are a recent “invention”, with only five states creating this position:

Pennsylvania : 1996
Michigan : 2003
Arkansas and Florida : 2007
California : 2019

Even so, Michigan has not filled its Surgeon General post since 2010. All other US states and territories do not their own state surgeon generals, and rely on the US Surgeon General, who is currently Vivek Murthy.

Joseph Abiodun Ladapo was appointed to the post of Florida Surgeon General by Florida governor Ron DeSantis on September 21, 2021, following his op-eds promoting unproven COVID-19 treatments like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, questioning the safety of vaccines, and opposing lockdowns and mask mandates.

At that time, he claimed that these opinions were based on his “experience in treating COVID-19 patients at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). However, UCLA staff roster do not show him treating any COVID-19 patients. Several of his colleagues also stated that Ladapo had never treated any COVID-19 patient.

Fact #2 : Ladapo’s Advice Are Often Controversial

After he was appointed as Florida Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo’s first move was to repeal quarantine requirements for schoolchildren exposed to COVID-19.

He also recommended that children in Florida should not be vaccinated against COVID-19, making Florida the first state to contradict COVID-19 vaccine guidelines by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Ladapo also suggested that men aged 18 to 39 should not be vaccinated, claiming high cases of cardiac-related deaths for those who took the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines – a claim that was rejected by many medical professionals.

In a sign that his views were possibly disgraceful, the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine removed Ladapo’s name and biography from its websites.

In January 2023, the Faculty Council of the University of Florida College of Medicine said that Ladapo’s recommendation was based on “careless and contentious research practice” and might have violated the university policies on research integrity.

On March 10, 2023, the CDC and the FDA publicly rebuked Joseph Ladapo (PDF download) for claiming that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines cause widespread adverse events.

Fact #3 : Ladapo Comments Were Made Before Vaccine Approval

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo made those comments on 7 September – four days before the US FDA approved the updated 2023 vaccines, and five days before the CDC recommended their use in people 6 months and older.

So how did Ladapo know that these updated 2023 COVID-19 vaccines have “a lot of red flags” days before the FDA and the CDC announced their findings?

Fact #4 : Ladapo Did Not Offer Any Evidence

Even more troubling – Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo did not offer any evidence to back up his claim that the updated 2023 COVID-19 vaccines have “a lot of red flags”.

What exactly are those red flags? He didn’t say.

Fact #5 : Ladapo Asked People To “Feel” Instead

Instead of providing evidence that the updated 2023 COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo asked people to “feel” instead.

Listen inside to what makes sense, what feels right, you know, what feels like truth. What has that feeling, and that resonance of truth. That clarity of truth, like we all know it when we feel it inside.

Ladapo also explained that some people are more able to “feel” the truth, because they are more advanced in their “spiritual journeys”.

Some of us know it more readily than others, and it’s because we are all in different points in our spiritual journeys”.

To be clear – that’s not what they teach in medical school. Doctors are not taught to “feel” what is right, or what is wrong, for their patients.

Doctors are trained to examine patients, and use a variety of investigative tools like x-ray, ECG, MRI, ultrasound, etc. to come to a diagnosis. Then they prescribe a treatment based on the research conducted by other doctors and scientists.

Whether they are religious (or spiritual) or not, should not be a factor in the diagnosis or treatment of any patient.

Fact #6 : COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe + Effective

The truth is – COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective. And we know this because not only have they passed large Phase 3 clinical trials, billions of doses have been administered worldwide in the past 2.5 years.

Thanks to the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines in preventing hospitalisation and death from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, hospitals are no longer filled with people gasping for breath. In fact, the world has successfully reopened, thanks to the COVID-19 vaccines.

COVID-19 vaccines do not make it easier for people to get infected. It only appears that way because many people are now vaccinated. If 90% of the world is vaccinated, then it is only natural that 90% of infected people have been vaccinated.

I should also point out that the COVID-19 vaccines were designed to prevent death and severe disease. They are not force fields that block you from being infected, so fully-vaccinated people will still get infected.

However, because the COVID-19 vaccines have trained your own immune system to fight against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, you are more likely to suffer a mild disease, or even remain asymptomatic.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccines : What You Need To Know!

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The FDA just approved two new 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines, which the CDC is now recommending for everyone 6 months and older!

Here is what you need to know about these new COVID-19 vaccines for 2023-2024!

FDA Approves Two 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccines!

On September 11, 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna for 2023-2024.

In tandem, the US FDA also removed authorisation for the previous Pfizer and Moderna Bivalent vaccine in the United States.

FDA Takes Action on Updated mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines to Better Protect Against Currently Circulating Variants

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took action approving and authorizing for emergency use updated COVID-19 vaccines formulated to more closely target currently circulating variants and to provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death.

Today’s actions relate to updated mRNA vaccines for 2023-2024 manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc. Consistent with the totality of the evidence and input from the FDA’s expert advisors, these vaccines have been updated to include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant XBB.1.5.

Individuals 5 years of age and older regardless of previous vaccination are eligible to receive a single dose of an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months since the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
Individuals 6 months through 4 years of age who have previously been vaccinated against COVID-19 are eligible to receive one or two doses of an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (timing and number of doses to administer depends on the previous COVID-19 vaccine received).
Unvaccinated individuals 6 months through 4 years of age are eligible to receive three doses of the updated authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or two doses of the updated authorized Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.
The FDA is confident in the safety and effectiveness of these updated vaccines and the agency’s benefit-risk assessment demonstrates that the benefits of these vaccines for individuals 6 months of age and older outweigh their risks.
Individuals who receive an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine may experience similar side effects as those reported by individuals who previously received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines as described in the respective prescribing information or fact sheets.
The updated vaccines are expected to provide good protection against COVID-19 from the currently circulating variants. Barring the emergence of a markedly more virulent variant, the FDA anticipates that the composition of COVID-19 vaccines may need to be updated annually, as is done for the seasonal influenza vaccine.

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You may not notice but the FDA is not calling these vaccines a “booster dose”. Instead, both vaccines are considered as “updated vaccines” that will better target the currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 virus variants.

Both 2023-2024 updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are based on the same mRNA vaccine technology as their original and bivalent vaccines. But the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines no longer targets the original, ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Instead, they both target the XBB.1.5 variant, which was dominant when these vaccines were developed. Even though the XBB.1.5 variant is no longer the dominant variant, the FDA has determined that it is similar enough to most prevailing variants to offer good cross-protection.

As before, these updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines are designed to prevent death and severe disease, and not avoid mild disease or symptomatic infections.

The FDA is still reviewing a third updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine from Novavax. The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine does not use mRNA, and is based on a synthetic spike protein with an adjuvant instead.

CDC Recommends 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccines!

On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially recommended that everyone 6 months and older get the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines that were just approved by the US FDA.

CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 Vaccine for Fall/Winter Virus Season

CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness this fall and winter. Updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna will be available later this week.

Vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. Vaccination also reduces your chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration.  If you have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past 2 months, get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect yourself this fall and winter.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is always changing, and protection from COVID-19 vaccines declines over time. Receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine can restore protection and provide enhanced protection against the variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States.

Last season, those who received a 2022-2023 COVID-19 vaccine saw greater protection against illness and hospitalization than those who did not receive a 2022-2023 vaccine.  To date, hundreds of millions of people have safely received a COVID-19 vaccine under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.

This recommendation came after the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) was presented with new data which showed that the highest rates of hospitalisation and deaths from COVID-19 were for the very old – adults over 75, and the very young – infants younger than 6 months.

CDC Recommendations For 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccines

CDC just released its recommendations for who should get the 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines:

Everyone 6 Years And Older

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 years and older should get one dose of the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, regardless of whether they received any original COVID-19 vaccine in the past or not.

People 65 Years And Older

People who are 65 years and older may get one additional dose of the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, four or more months after receiving the first dose.

Immunocompromised People

People who are moderately or severely-immunocompromised may get one additional dose of the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, two or more months after receiving the first dose.

Unvaccinated Children 6 Months To 4 Years (Pfizer)

The CDC is recommending three doses of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines:

First dose of the 2023-2024 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
Second dose : 3-8 weeks after first dose
Third dose : at least 8 weeks after second dose

Vaccinated Children 6 Months To 4 Years (Pfizer)

The CDC is recommending that children who received the original Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine should receive these updated doses:

3 doses of the original vaccine : get one updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dose
2 doses of the original vaccine : get one updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dose
1 dose of the original vaccine : get two updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses
2 doses of the original vaccine + bivalent booster : no need for updated vaccine

Unvaccinated 5 Year Old Children (Pfizer)

The CDC is recommending that unvaccinated 5 year-old children should receive one dose of the updated 2023-2024 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccinated 5 Year Old Children (Pfizer)

The CDC is recommending that 5 year-old children who received the original Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine should receive one dose of the updated vaccine:

1 or more doses of the original vaccine : get one updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dose

Unvaccinated Children 6 Months To 5 Years (Moderna)

The CDC is recommending two doses of the updated Moderna 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines:

First dose of the 2023-2024 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
Second dose : 4-8 weeks after first dose

Vaccinated Children 6 Months To 5 Years (Moderna)

The CDC is recommending that children who received the original Moderna COVID-19 vaccine should receive these updated doses:

2 doses of the original vaccine : get one updated Moderna vaccine dose
1 dose of the original vaccine : get two updated Moderna vaccine doses
2 doses of the original vaccine + bivalent booster : no need for updated vaccine

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Did CDC say new variant more likely to infect vaccinated people?!

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Did the CDC just say that the new BA.2.86 COVID-19 variant is MORE likely to infect vaccinated people, than unvaccinated people?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : CDC Said New Variant More Likely To Infect Vaccinated People!

People are sharing messages and a video clip, claiming or suggesting that the CDC just said that the new BA.2.86 COVID-19 variant is MORE likely to infect vaccinated people, than unvaccinated people!

Stew Peters : CDC says the “VACCINATED” are more likely to catch the FAKE new variant of “covid”.

Dr Jordan B Peterson : And the CDC clearly said that the vaccinated were more likely to catch the new variant I read it on their website Screenshotted it And tweeted or Exed it Or whatever the hell we’re doing now

Charlie Kirk : Wait, what?!

According to the CDC’s newly published “Risk Assessment Summary for SARS CoV-2 Sublineage BA.2.86,” the new variant “may be more capable of causing infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or who have received COVID-19 vaccines.”

So if you’ve received the experimental mRNA injection, the CDC now admits you’re more susceptible to COVID The “experts” failed you. Never again.

Leading Report : BREAKING: CDC has stated that Americans who have received mRNA COVID vaccines are now at a higher risk of infection from new variants of the virus than those who are unvaccinated.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Redacted-BA.2.86-Pirola-variant-vaccine-claim.mp4?_=1

Truth : CDC Did NOT Say New Variant More Likely To Infect Vaccinated People!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on social media, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Video Was Part Of Redacted Livestream

The viral video clip appears to be a modified clip from the Redacted show featuring Clayton Morris and Natali Morris, that was livestreamed on 1 September 2023. Here are other Redacted video clips that I fact checked earlier:

Fact #2 : CDC Did Not Say New Variant More Likely To Infect Vaccinated People

The viral article that the viral messages, and the Redacted video clip, referred to is called “Risk Assessment Summary for SARS CoV-2 Sublineage BA.2.86“, which you can read here.

They are (intentionally?) misinterpreting this single sentence in the article:

BA.2.86 may be more capable of causing infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or who have received COVID-19 vaccines.

If you read the sentence carefully, you will realise that it does not say that the new BA.2.86 variant is more likely to cause infection in vaccinated people, than unvaccinated people. Heck, the word “unvaccinated” isn’t even mentioned once in the entire article!

What the sentence tells us is that the CDC believes it it “possible” that the BA.2.86 variant may be more capable of causing breakthrough infections in both vaccinated people, or (unvaccinated) people who developed natural immunity through a prior COVID-19 infection.

On top of that, they (intentionally?) skipped the following sentences that clearly point out that the CDC believes that the updated COVID-19 vaccine is effective in reducing severe disease and hospitalisation from the new BA.2.86 variant:

Scientists are evaluating the effectiveness of the forthcoming, updated COVID-19 vaccine. CDC’s current assessment is that this updated vaccine will be effective at reducing severe disease and hospitalization.

Fact #3 : CDC Article Was Outdated

Interestingly, the CDC article in question was outdated by the time the viral Redacted video aired, and those message went viral in September 2023.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention releases weekly updates on respiratory illnesses here. The CDC article quoted in the viral messages, and the Redacted video clip, was posted on 23 August 2023, and superseded by an updated article posted on 30 August 2023.

The updated article, which was published before the Redacted video and the viral messages, removed that short sentence to give a clearer, and more nuanced assessment:

Scientists are evaluating how previous immunity from vaccinations or past infections protect against this new variant. Tests of how well antibodies block the virus from infecting cells give us one measure of how well one part of the immune system might handle BA.2.86.

Along with antibodies, other parts of the immune system have important roles in protecting people from the most severe outcomes of COVID-19. These other parts of the immune system have been less affected by viral evolution and are not predicted to have decreased activity against BA.2.86.

This updated explanation naturally “debunks” the claims that the CDC said that vaccinated people are more vulnerable than unvaccinated people to the new BA.2.86 variant.

It is peculiar why anyone would choose to use the outdated CDC article, instead of the updated CDC article with its better explanation of the risks of the new BA.2.86 variant…

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did FDA + CDC Hide Data On Failing COVID Vaccines?!

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Did the FDA and CDC hide data that show the COVID-19 vaccines failing as early as January 2021?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : FDA + CDC Hid Data On Failing COVID-19 Vaccines!

People are sharing an article by The Epoch Times which claim or suggest that FDA and/or CDC hid data that show the COVID-19 vaccines failing as early as January 2021!

Here is an excerpt of The Epoch Times article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts:

FDA, CDC Hid Data on Spike in COVID Cases Among the Vaccinated: Documents

COVID-19 cases among vaccinated seniors soared in 2021, according to newly disclosed data that was acquired by U.S. health agencies but not presented to the public.

Humetrix Cloud Services was contracted by the U.S. military to analyze vaccine data. The company performed a fresh analysis as authorities considered in 2021 whether COVID-19 vaccine boosters were necessary amid studies finding waning vaccine effectiveness.

Humetrix researchers found that the proportion of total COVID-19 cases among the seniors was increasingly comprised of vaccinated people, according to the newly disclosed documents.

For the week ending on July 31, 2021, post-vaccination COVID-19 cases represented 73 percent of the cases among people 65 and older, the company found. The elderly were 80 percent fully vaccinated at the time.

Breakthrough infection rates were higher among those who were vaccinated early, the researchers found. They estimated that the rates were twice as high in those who had been vaccinated five to six months prior, when compared to people vaccinated three to four months before.

The breakthrough cases started in January 2021, according to the data. Protection against hospitalization was also fading, researchers discovered.

In the week ending on July 31, 2021, 63 percent of the COVID-19 hospitalizations in seniors were among the fully vaccinated, according to the documents. The same pattern of weaker protection among people who were vaccinated early was found.

Researchers calculated that the vaccine effectiveness (VE) against infection was just 33 percent while the effectiveness against hospitalization had dropped to 57 percent.

Seniors who previously had COVID-19 and recovered were more likely to avoid hospitalization, the researchers also found. Risk factors included serious underlying conditions such as obesity and being in the oldest age group, or older than 85.

“Our observational study VE findings show a very significant decrease in VE against infection and hospitalization in the Delta phase of the pandemic for individuals vaccinated with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for those 5–6 months post vaccination vs. those 3–4 months post vaccination,” Dr. Bettina Experton, Humetrix’s president and CEO, said in a Sept. 15, 2021, email to top U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials.

Humetrix also found that among the beneficiaries, there had been 133,000 cases, 27,000 hospitalizations, and 8,300 intensive care admissions among the fully vaccinated since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Experton disclosed that Humetrix shared the data with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in August 2021.

Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health at the time, wrote in a separate email obtained through FOIA that the results of the study provided “pretty compelling evidence that VE is falling 5–6 months post vaccination for both infection and hospitalization for those over 65.”

He added, “Even for those 3–4 months out there is a trend toward worsening VE.”

The CDC, FDA, and National Institutes of Health did not share the data with the public as they considered whether to clear and recommend COVID-19 vaccine boosters.

The CDC held a meeting with its vaccine advisers on Aug. 30, 2021. During the meeting, CDC officials went over emerging data on waning vaccine effectiveness. But the military study was not included.

The FDA held a similar meeting on Sept. 17, 2021. The CDC participated. The Humetrix analysis was also not presented during that meeting.

Both agencies have aggressively promoted COVID-19 vaccines throughout the pandemic, including hyping them as strongly protective against severe disease even after their own data have suggested that is not the case.

The CDC did present data from COVID-NET, one of its systems, that showed effectiveness against COVID-19-associated hospitalization was falling among the elderly since the emergence of the Delta variant but that data still showed 80 percent effectiveness.

The presentation also included data from outside researchers and Israel that estimated the protection during the Delta era against infection ranged from 39 percent to 84 percent and that the effectiveness against hospitalization ranged from 75 to 95 percent.

The FDA ended up clearing a Pfizer booster for many Americans. The CDC advised most people to receive it. The agencies later expanded booster clearance and recommendations to virtually all Americans aged 5 and older, with Moderna’s shot as another option. Authorities have since replaced the old shots due to their lack of durability, and are preparing to roll out another slate of shots this fall.

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No Evidence FDA + CDC Hid Data On Failing COVID-19 Vaccines!

In this article, I will go through some of their claims, and show you what the facts really are!

Fact #1 : Humetrix Study Was Commissioned By US DOD

First, let’s start by pointing out that the Humetrix study in question was commissioned by JAIC – the US Department of Defense Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. This was stated explicitly in an email by Humetrix President and CEO, Bettina Experton, to the FDA:

This study has been conducted by my company under contract with the DoD JAIC (Joint Artificial Intelligence Center) since March 2020, when we were t asked to analyze Medicare claim data to monitor, map and conduct Covid-19 predictive analytics for the military.

What this means is – the data belonged to the US Department of Defense, not Humetrix, the FDA, or the CDC.

Fact #2 : Humetrix Published Study Results In December 2022

It seems odd to accuse the US FDA and CDC of hiding data from the Humetrix study, when Humetrix publicly published its results in the open-access journal, Biology in December 2022.

The study is called “Enhanced Vaccine Effectiveness during the Delta Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Medicare Population Supports a Multilayered Prevention Approach“.

Fact #3 : No Evidence CDC / FDA Hid Humetrix Study

There is no evidence that the FDA or CDC hid the Humetrix study or its data. The Epoch Times article did not offer any evidence, beyond pointing out that the Humetrix analysis was “not presented” during a meeting to approve the booster dose.

Ironically, the same article pointed out that the CDC presented data from its COVID-NET data that showed falling vaccine effectiveness in the elderly against the Delta variant. So why should the CDC / FDA try to “hide” the Humetrix data?

Is it not possible that the CDC preferred to rely on its own data? Or perhaps, the CDC decided that the COVID-NET data was compelling enough, it did not need to supplement with the similar data from the Humetrix study?

Fact #4 : Vaccines Were Not Meant To Prevent Infection

While many anti-vaccine activists harp on the fact that COVID-19 vaccines fail to prevent transmission or breakthrough infections, the truth is – the vaccines were designed to prevent severe disease and deaths from COVID-19.

It would be nice if they can significantly block transmission, or breakthrough infections, but those were never the endpoints in any COVID-19 vaccine trial. If you look back at the vaccine trial results, they were only looking at protection against “symptomatic infection“, “severe disease“, and “death“.

COVID-19 Vaccine	Protection Against
COVID-19 Vaccine	Symptomatic Infection	Severe Disease	Death
Pfizer Comirnaty	95.0%	100%	100%
Gamaleya Sputnik V	91.6%	100%	100%
Moderna mRNA-1273	94.1%	100%	100%
AstraZeneca AZD1222	62% ~ 90%	100%	100%
Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV	79% ~ 86%	90%	100%
Sinovac Biotech	50.65%	83.7%	100%
J&J Janssen COVID-19	66.0%	85%	100%
CanSino Biologics	65.7%	90.98%	100%

Therefore, their constant harping of the “inability” or “failure” of COVID-19 vaccines to block transmission, or completely prevent infections, is a red herring. That was never the goal of these vaccines.

Even if you are fully-vaccinated, you can continue to get breakthrough infections, and that’s fine. The key thing is vaccines help to prevent severe disease and death COVID-19 infections.

Fact #5 : Humetrix Study Looked At Delta Variant

It is also important to note that the Humerix study looked at the Delta variant, as its title stated clearly – Effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Against the Delta Variant Among 6M Medicare Beneficiaries 65 Years and Older.

The original COVID-19 vaccines were designed to target the original (ancestral) SARS-CoVo-2 virus. The Delta variant did not exist at that time.

The Humerix study did not address or disparage the effectiveness of the vaccines against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus that they were originally meant to target. It was looking to see if the original mRNA vaccine could also protect against the Delta variant.

Fact #5 : Reduced Protection vs. Delta Variant Spurs Need For Booster Dose

The Humerix study, at that time, was presented to the FDA for its use in the consideration whether to approve the booster dose looked at the effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines against the new (at that time) Delta variant.

Because it showed reduced vaccine effectiveness against infections and hospitalisations, that would actually support the approval of a booster dose to boost protection against COVID-19.

If the Humetrix study actually showed the original mRNA vaccines’ strong protection against the Delta variant, the FDA and/or CDC might not feel the need to approve or support a booster dose at that time.

This was actually mentioned in the Executive Summary of the Humetrix presentation on Page 2:

Salus breakthrough hospitalization risk model can be applied to prioritize the over 65 population for booster vaccine

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Is Joe Biden Reinstating Face Mask + Lockdowns?!

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Is the Biden Administration preparing to reinstate FULL COVID-19 lockdowns, beginning with face mask mandates in mid-September 2023?! Find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-08-30 : Added video fact check, and other updates
Originally posted @ 2023-08-25

Claim : Biden Admin Is Reinstating Full COVID Lockdowns!

People are sharing an article by The Gateway Pundit, which claims that the Biden Administration is preparing to reinstate FULL COVID-19 lockdowns, beginning with face mask mandates in mid-September 2023!

The article is pretty long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Biden Regime to Reinstate COVID-19 Restrictions Beginning with Mask Mandate as “COVID Cases Rise”, Say TSA and Border Patrol Whistleblowers

The Biden regime is preparing to reinstate full COVID-19 lockdowns, beginning with masking mandates for TSA and airport employees reportedly as early as mid-September, Infowars first to report.

A high-level TSA official reached out to Infowars, detailing a Tuesday meeting where TSA managers were informed of new memorandums and policies that would reimplement mask-wearing.

These policies will reinstate the mask mandate for TSA and airport employees starting in mid-September.

The official added that by mid-October, mask-wearing will be mandated for pilots, flight staff, passengers, and all airport patrons.

Following this disclosure from the TSA official, Infowars reached out to a trusted Border Patrol source, also in a managerial position.

This source corroborated the directives, confirming that similar measures were being planned for Border Patrol personnel.

The news outlet added, “Both whistleblowers were told this rollout will be in tandem with the new Covid “variant” hysteria that the MSM has been reporting on this week.”

The media is now pushing for another lockdown. Another fear porn from the so-called health experts and media just in time for the next election. The same old playbook.

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No Evidence Biden Administration Is Reinstating COVID Lockdowns!

The Gateway Pundit was basically just summarising what Infowars claimed, and here is what you need to know:

Fact #1 : Infowars Is Notorious Fake News Website

First, let me just point out that Infowars is notorious for posting conspiracy theories and fake news.

2020 study by four universities – Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers, found that Infowars was amongst the top 5 most shared websites for COVID-19 fake news.
Infowars is listed as #4 on the Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Websites list.
Infowars video editor Josh Owens admitted to intentionally creating misleading videos – “It’s not about truth, it’s not about accuracy — it’s about what’s going to make people click on this video…In essence, we lied.“

Both Alex Jones and Infowars have been subjected to multiple lawsuits, losing them one after another. In December 2022, he and the Infowars parent company was ordered to pay about $1.5 billion for spreading lies about the 2002 Sandy Hook mass shooting.

Based on its reputation, everything posted by InfoWars should be considered as FAKE NEWS until proven otherwise.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from InfoWars. Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Fact #2 : Alex Jones + Infowars Provided No Evidence

If you watch the Infowars video where Alex Jones detailed the “exclusive news” that the Biden Administration is planning to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions, you may be forgiven for thinking that all those papers on his table are leaked memorandum and policy documents that TSA and Border Patrol whistleblowers provided.

Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case. While there is A TON of papers on his massive table, they appear to be nothing more than printed copies of news articles. Alex Jones never showed any evidence of the “planned COVID-19 protocols” that will roll out in the middle of September 2023.

It’s easy to make outlandish claims, it’s quite another thing to back them with actual evidence. Needless to say, Infowars offered ZERO evidence to back up its claims.

Fact #3 : Lockdowns Were Necessary Because There Was No Vaccine

In his video, Alex Jones said that his whistleblowers were told to expect “a return to the full COVID protocol of 2020/2021” by December 2023.

The problem with that claim is that many governments implemented lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, because there was no treatment and vaccines were not yet invented or available in sufficient quantities.

Lockdowns were used as a way to limit transmission, and prevent hospitals and healthcare workers from being overloaded with COVID-19 patients.

Now that many people have some protection from a prior infection, or from COVID-19 vaccines, there has been no new need for governments to implement new lockdowns. In fact, there has been multiple waves of new COVID-19 variants, but they have not necessitated new lockdowns.

So the claim that the Biden Administration is going to implement COVID-19 lockdowns in December 2023 over the new Eris EG.5 variant is not supported by the prevailing evidence.

Fact #4 : WHO Declared COVID-19 Is No Longer PHEIC

It is interesting that the whistleblowers mentioned that the World Health Organization (WHO) may declare (an emergency?) over the new EG.5 Eris variant.

For one thing, the WHO itself declared on 5 May 2023 that COVID-19 as a whole is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Instead, COVID-19 is now considered “an established and ongoing health issue“.

Fact #5 : Eris Variant Is Not More Dangerous

The WHO has been monitoring the new EG.5 “Eris” variant, designating it as a “variant of interest”. However, that does not mean Eris is a more dangerous variant.

According to the WHO, the EG. 5 variant has increased prevalence, growth advantage, and immune escape properties, but…

presents a low public health risk at a global level, and
has no reported changes in disease severity to date

While it is possible that EG.5 / Eris will become the dominant COVID-19 variant moving into the winter months of 2023, it has the same symptoms and severity as past variants.

Fact #6 : New Vaccines Are Coming In September 2023

Even if the Eris / EG.5 becomes dominant, it is unlikely for the United States to require lockdowns in December 2023, because new COVID-19 vaccines coming in September will offer better protection against it.

From late September 2023 onwards, Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are introducing new COVID-19 vaccines that will target XBB variants. As EG.5 is part of the XBB lineage, the new vaccines are expected to offer better protection against this new variant.

EG.5 is part of the XBB lineage and is more closely related to the XBB variants than it is to previous vaccine strains.

For this reason, the expectation is that the reformulated vaccines that will be available this fall will offer better protection to EG.5 than previous vaccines.

– Justin Lessler, professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

In short, there really isn’t a need for new lockdowns, because the improved COVID-19 vaccines are already coming in the fall of 2023.

Fact #7 : Biden Administration Does Not Want New Lockdowns

I should now point out that it is against the Biden Administration’s interest to implement new lockdowns, which would cripple the economy. In fact, the Biden Administration mentioned this when it released its National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan (PDF download) in March 2022.

The path forward in the fight against COVID-19 is clear: schools, workers, and workplaces have resources and guidance to prevent shutdowns.

Fact #8 : Face Mask Order Would Be Issued By CDC

However, the CDC face mask mandate was made “unenforceable” by court order on April 18, 2022, and expired when the Biden Administration ended the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

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Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Is Biden Admin Bringing Back FULL COVID Restrictions?!

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Is the Biden Administration preparing to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions beginning in mid-September 2023?! Find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-08-24 : Added a fact check video, updated parts of the article
Originally posted @ 2023-08-19

Claim : Biden Admin Bringing Back Full COVID Restrictions!

People are sharing an InfoWars article which claims that the Biden Administration is preparing to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions, beginning in mid-September 2023!

The article is pretty long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

EXCLUSIVE: Biden Admin Preparing to Bring Back FULL Covid Restrictions, Rollout to Begin Mid-September

Whistleblowers from the TSA and Border Patrol have raised the alarm to Infowars that the Biden administration is setting the stage for full Covid lockdowns that will begin with incremental restrictions like masking TSA employees in mid-September.

The first source, a high-level TSA official confirmed and known to Infowars, reached out to Infowars and cited a Tuesday meeting in which TSA managers were told new memorandums & policies were being completed that would reimplement masking, starting with TSA & airport employees as early as mid-September.

The TSA official also said next week they will receive new guidelines on how the policy will escalate: by mid-October, mask-wearing will be required by pilots, flight staff, passengers, and airport patrons.

After hearing from the TSA manager, Infowars reached out to our trusted Border Patrol source who is also a manager. This source confirmed the same directives were being given to Border Patrol.

They were told it was not a matter of “if” but “when” official Covid numbers will go back up and they expect by mid-October a return to forced-masking policies that the Biden administration previously only reluctantly ended after massive pressure.

Both whistleblowers were told this rollout will be in tandem with the new Covid “variant” hysteria that the MSM has been reporting on this week.

Infowars’ analysis is clear: this new rollout’s timing is perfect for the embattled Biden administration to put the country back in a state of civil emergency and even martial law to further divide and confuse the public and move forward with the greatest election meddling in history.

Many times, Alex Jones has warned that the system will bring back biomedical tyranny. And the launch of this new crisis in September will allow a build-up of control that would allow the use of mail-in ballots for the next presidential election.

Remember, mail-in ballots were decisive for Biden’s victory last election.

We now know the Covid lockdowns were an international psychological warfare operation run by the Ministry of Defense and Pentagon.

Countries worldwide implemented fear campaigns for political purposes and to push experimental shots.

But this time around, the masses have awakened to the globalist playbook of conquest, and may not be as receptive to MSM hysteria.

Simply put, the Deep State is getting desperate and is behaving like a cornered animal.

Show less

No Evidence Biden Administration Is Bringing Back COVID Restrictions!

Let’s take a look at what Infowars just claimed, and find out what the facts really are!

Fact #1 : InfoWars Is Notorious Fake News Website

First, let me just point out that InfoWars is notorious for posting conspiracy theories and fake news.

2020 study by four universities – Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers, found that InfoWars was amongst the top 5 most shared websites for COVID-19 fake news.
InfoWars is listed as #4 on the Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Websites list.
InfoWars video editor Josh Owens admitted to intentionally creating misleading videos – “It’s not about truth, it’s not about accuracy — it’s about what’s going to make people click on this video…In essence, we lied.“

Both Alex Jones and InfoWars have been subjected to multiple lawsuits, losing them one after another. In December 2022, he and the InfoWars parent company was ordered to pay about $1.5 billion for spreading lies about the 2002 Sandy Hook mass shooting.

Based on its reputation, everything posted by InfoWars should be considered as FAKE NEWS until proven otherwise.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from InfoWars. Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Fact #2 : Alex Jones + InfoWars Provided No Evidence

If you watch the InfoWars video where Alex Jones detailed the “exclusive news” that the Biden Administration is planning to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions, you may be forgiven for thinking that all those papers on his table were leaked memorandum and policy documents that TSA and Border Patrol whistleblowers provided.

It’s easy to make outlandish claims, it’s quite another thing to back them with actual evidence. Needless to say, InfoWars offered ZERO evidence to back up its claims.

Fact #3 : Lockdowns Were Necessary Because There Was No Vaccine

In his video, Alex Jones said that his whistleblowers were told to expect “a return to the full COVID protocol of 2020/2021” by December 2023.

Lockdowns were used as a way to limit transmission, and prevent hospitals and healthcare workers from being overloaded with COVID-19 patients.

So the claim that the Biden Administration is going to implement COVID-19 lockdowns in December 2023 over the new Eris EG.5 variant is not supported by the prevailing evidence.

Fact #4 : WHO Declared COVID-19 Is No Longer PHEIC

It is interesting that the whistleblowers mentioned that the World Health Organization (WHO) may declare (an emergency?) over the new EG.5 Eris variant.

Fact #5 : Eris Variant Is Not More Dangerous

The WHO has been monitoring the new EG.5 “Eris” variant, designating it as a “variant of interest”. However, that does not mean Eris is a more dangerous variant.

According to the WHO, the EG. 5 variant has increased prevalence, growth advantage, and immune escape properties, but…

presents a low public health risk at a global level, and
has no reported changes in disease severity to date

While it is possible that EG.5 / Eris will become the dominant COVID-19 variant moving into the winter months of 2023, it has the same symptoms and severity as past variants.

Fact #6 : New Vaccines Are Coming In September 2023

EG.5 is part of the XBB lineage and is more closely related to the XBB variants than it is to previous vaccine strains.

For this reason, the expectation is that the reformulated vaccines that will be available this fall will offer better protection to EG.5 than previous vaccines.

– Justin Lessler, professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

In short, there really isn’t a need for new lockdowns, because the improved COVID-19 vaccines are already coming in the fall of 2023.

Fact #7 : Biden Administration Does Not Want New Lockdowns

The path forward in the fight against COVID-19 is clear: schools, workers, and workplaces have resources and guidance to prevent shutdowns.

Fact #8 : Face Mask Order Would Be Issued By CDC

However, the CDC face mask mandate was made “unenforceable” by court order on April 18, 2022, and expired when the Biden Administration ended the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Is Guillain-Barré syndrome emergency in Peru due to vaccine?!

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Did Peru announce a health emergency after the COVID-19 vaccine caused an explosion of Guillain-Barré syndrome cases?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Guillain-Barré syndrome emergency in Peru is due to vaccine!

Many people are sharing articles, or posting messages on social media, claiming that Peru just announced a health emergency after the COVID-19 vaccine caused an explosion of Guillain-Barré syndrome cases!

Here is an excerpt from an article posted by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch)

Peru Announces Health Emergency After Explosion of ‘Vaccine Side-Effect’ Guillain-Barre Syndrome

The Peruvian government has declared a 90-day national state of emergency due to an explosion of cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, according to local reports.

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare disorder where the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. While the syndrome is not contagious, a 90-day health emergency was declared because the current cases “have unusual and atypical characteristics that require rapid or immediate initial treatment,” Peru’s Institute of Neurological Sciences said.

The exact cause of Guillain-Barre syndrome is not known, however it is officially listed as a reaction in those who receive the Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, both of which were widely administered in Peru, which has a national vaccination rate of 92%.

Peru is not the only heavily-vaccinated country experiencing medical carnage in the wake of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

More than any other country in the world, Australia followed the Covid-19 guidance of the World Health Organization and unelected world health czar Bill Gates, earning special pat on the back from Gates last year when he praised Australia’s early and harsh response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Australia is now being rewarded for following the globalist elite’s guidance with the highest excess mortality rate in the world, and one of the highest levels recorded anywhere in the world in the last 80 years.

Show less

Truth : Guillain-Barré syndrome emergency in Peru is NOT due to vaccine!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and spread by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Guillain-Barré Syndrome Is An Autoimmune Disorder

First, let me just start with a quick primer on Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), which is a rare, autoimmune disorder that damages the patient’s peripheral nervous system.

Basically, the body’s own immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves and damages their myelin insulation, after being triggered by an infection, or less commonly, by surgery, and rarely, by vaccination.

GBS patients experience numbness, tingling sensation, and pain, as well as progressive muscle weakness. Some people will develop weakness of their breathing muscles, leading to life-threatening breathing difficulties.

Fact #2 : Peru Declared Health Emergency On July 8

On 26 June 2023, the National Center for Epidemiology, Prevention, and Disease Control (CDC) of Peru issued an epidemiological alert (PDF download) announcing an increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) cases across the country.

For the first 27 epidemiological weeks in 2023, 191 cases of GBS were reported, with 77 cases confirmed. Four deaths were reported – 1 in January, 1 in March, and two in May. Here was the breakdown:

58.6% (112 cases) were males between 2 and 86 years, with an average age of 41
40.3% (77 cases) were adults between 30 and 59 years
26.7% (51 cases) were senior citizens 60 years and older
19.9% (38 cases) were children under 17 years of age

On 8 July 2023, Peru issued a national Health Emergency decree, which authorises:

The implementation of an action plan that includes financing for the provision of strategic resources in health, including the acquisition of human immunoglobulin as part of the treatment of patients with Guillain Barré syndrome.
Intensification of surveillance, prevention, and response actions to possible cases.
Communication of risk to health professionals and issuance of key messages to the population to adopt preventive measures.
Advice, information, and guidance on Guillain Barré syndrome to health professionals and the general population.

Fact #3 : Peru Declared Similar Emergencies Pre-Pandemic

Globally, Guillain-Barré syndrome is considered a rare disease, with 1-2 cases per 100,000 people per year. However, it is surprisingly common in Peru, at least relatively to the rest of the world.

A country of 33 million people, Peru records 300 to 500 cases annually. The Peruvian government has previously declared similar health emergencies in 2018 and 2019. During the last 3 years, cases dropped – probably due to the lockdown and other COVID-19 health measures:

During the year 2020, 448 cases were reported nationally with a weekly average of 11 cases; in 2021, 210 cases were reported with a weekly average of 4 cases, and in 2022, 225 cases were reported with a weekly average of 4 cases.

This shows that Peru’s Guillain-Barré syndrome problem existed long before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, and certainly long before COVID-19 vaccines were invented.

Fact #4 : Previous Outbreaks Were Due To Infections

Guillain-Barre syndrome is most commonly caused by infections. So it comes to no surprise that the previous outbreaks in Peru were found to be caused by infections:

2018 outbreak : An enterovirus transmitted mainly by the faecal-oral route
2019 outbreak : Campylobacter jejuni bacteria, of the ST2993 genotype

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a known complication of Campylobacter jejuni infections.

Fact #5 : Current Outbreaks Linked To Bacterial Infection

In the current 2023 outbreak, most patients presented with infections, or signs of infection:

24.1% (46 cases) : respiratory infection
23% (44 cases) : gastrointestinal infection
16.2% (31 cases) : fever

Samples were collected from those patients, and as of 10 July 2023, eleven cases were confirmed to be infected with Campylobacter jejuni – the same bacteria that caused the 2019 outbreak!

Just to be clear – neither the SARS-CoV-2 virus, nor the COVID-19 vaccine, can transform into Campylobacter jejuni bacteria.

And let me just repeat this – Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a known complication of Campylobacter jejuni infections.

Fact #6 : GBS Caused By Vaccine Is Rare

Guillain-Barré syndrome can be caused by vaccination, but this is very rare. When it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, it has been associated with the AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines – both using the virus vector method.

It is plausible for the adenovirus used by the two vaccines to trigger GBS. After all, the vaccine works by “infecting” our cells with the harmless adenovirus to deliver the necessary genetic code to create the COVID-19 spike protein.

However, the risk of developing Guillain-Barré syndrome with these virus vector vaccines are rare. With the Janssen vaccine, only about 100 suspected GBS cases were reported after 12.8 million people received the vaccine.

The risk of developing GBS with the AstraZeneca vaccine, on the other hand, is between 98 to 140 cases per million doses of the vaccine.

While it is possible that some of the GBS cases in Peru might be due to COVID-19 vaccination, they would be relatively few.

Fact #7 : Guillain-Barré syndrome Is Rapid In Onset

Regardless of the risk of developing GBS from COVID-19 vaccines, it is very unlikely that the current outbreak has anything to do with COVID-19 vaccination. That’s because Guillain-Barre syndrome is rapid-onset – it occurs quickly.

Most Peruvians received their COVID-19 vaccinations by end of May 2022. Therefore, it is impossible for their past COVID-19 vaccinations to surface a year later as Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Fact #8 : The People’s Voice Is A Fake News Website

The People’s Voice is the new name / brand for NewsPunch, which was forced to change its name because it has been so thoroughly discredited, its brand was worthless.

Like Real Raw News, NewPunch was a FAKE NEWS website that capitalises on making shocking but fake stories to generate page views and money.

It was founded as Your News Wire in 2014, before being rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news spread on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice. Here are some of its fake stories that I personally debunked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Recommended Reading

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Did CDC Alter Death Certificates To Remove Vaccine Deaths?!

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Did the CDC alter death certificates to remove the COVID-19 vaccine as a cause of death?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : CDC Altered Death Certificates To Remove Vaccine Deaths!

People are sharing a Brownstone Institute article, which claims to show that the CDC altered death certificates in Minnesota to remove the COVID-19 vaccine as a cause of death!

Here is an excerpt from the very long article. Feel free to skip to the next part for the facts!

CDC Altered Minnesota Death Certificates that List a Covid Vaccine as a Cause of Death

Someone (who needs to remain anonymous) was able to obtain the death certificates from Minnesota for all deaths that occurred from 2015 to the present, which presented the opportunity to see if the CDC is being entirely honest about the US death data. Unsurprisingly, the CDC is not.

As we shall document, the CDC is concealing references to a covid vaccine on Minnesota death certificates (that are exceedingly rare to begin with because of widespread medical establishment denialism of vaccine adverse side effects). In almost every death certificate that identifies a covid vaccine as a cause of death, the CDC committed data fraud by not assigning the ICD 10 code for vaccine side effects to the causes of death listed on the death certificate.

When someone dies, there is a death certificate that is filled out for official/legal purposes. Death certificates contain a lot of information (some states include more than others), including the causes of death (CoD).

The critical thing to keep in mind is that the person filling out the death certificate writes a text description of the CoD’s, but doesn’t assign the ICD 10 codes for the CoD’s.

That’s the CDC’s job.

There are two ICD 10 codes for vaccine side effects that can be broadly used for the covid vaccines – T88.1 and Y59.0

The CDC receives the death certificates from the various states and applies ICD 10 codes. This is primarily done with a secret algorithm, with a tiny percentage of cases adjudicated by CDC staff when the algorithm is unable to confidently assign an ICD code to the text description written on the actual death certificate (such as confounding spelling or a text description that does not make much sense). I confirmed this with a biostatistician who works for a DoH in a US state (I’m leaving out which one because I want to preserve my persona grata status). The individual who obtained the MN death certificates likewise confirmed with state officials that the ICD codes in their data were assigned by the CDC.

With that introduction, below are 7 death certificates from Minnesota that identify a covid vaccine as a cause of death where the CDC omitted the corresponding ICD 10 code identifying a vaccine side effect when the CDC assigned ICD codes to the death certificates.

It is striking that 7/9 died before May 2021. This is odd – if anything, the deaths should skew later, not earlier. Vaccine adverse events were denied – with maximum prejudice and then some – for many months before the medical mainstream has finally (begrudgingly) started to acknowledge that the covid vaccines can trigger potentially lethal pathologies (in exceedingly rare instances to be sure).

The clustering of death certificates mentioning a covid vaccine at the beginning of the rollout suggests that ‘administrative’ interference likely played a role in discouraging coroners from mentioning a covid vaccine on death certificates.

Another noteworthy tidbit here is the age of the decedents: every single one is a senior citizen, and the average age of the decedents is 80. This is important to highlight because whereas young people “dying suddenly” stands out, there has been much less attention or acknowledgement of the covid vaccine’s devastating toll upon the old and frail, where deaths – even those that occur in close proximity to vaccination – are readily attributed to prior health conditions.

Finally, the actions of the CDC call into question whether the CDC is altogether qualified or trustworthy enough to be the steward of the nation’s epidemiological data. The CDC manages many of the datasets that underpin whole fields of study. If the CDC is willing to fraudulently alter data (or even if the CDC is just too incompetent to avoid corrupting data), all data under the aegis of the CDC is potentially suspect, especially if it relates to a controversial political or social issue. The implications of this are disturbing, to say the least.

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Truth : CDC Did Not Alter Death Certificates To Remove Vaccine Deaths!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : NCHS Is Responsible For ICD

The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) is a system that was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with other health organisations. The current version – ICD-10, has been in use since January 1, 1999.

In the United States, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is the federal agency responsible for the proper use of ICD, and responsible for developing a Clinical Modification (ICD-CM) – to track morbidity and include new causes of morbidity like COVID-19.

Fact #2 : Doctors / Coroners Do Not Assign ICD Codes

The ICD-10 codes on death certificates are not assigned by the doctor attending to the death, or the coroner who performed the autopsy. In most states, that the job is performed by a state agency – usually its department of health.

In this 2009 article, Chris Dimick explains how ICD coding is done for death certificates in the United States (with my emphasis in bold):

For every death that occurs in the US, a physician, coroner, or medical examiner completes a death certificate. The certificate lists details about the cause of death as well as any contributing conditions or injuries.

All death certificates are sent to a state agency, which varies by state but can include the department of health.

Fact #3 : NCHS Performs ICD Coding For Some States

Not all states do their own ICD coding. For those states, it is the NCHS that does the coding for their death certificates.

However, not all states do their own coding. Some states send their non-automated coding to NCHS, where government mortality coders finish the job.

Other states do not handle any of the process and pass along compiled death certificates for NCHS do both data entry and coding.

It is possible that Minnesota may be one of those states that rely on the NCHS to do their ICD coding, but I cannot yet confirm this.

Fact #4 : ICD Codes Are Mostly Assigned By Software

Regardless of whether a state health agency or the NCHS handles the ICD coding of death certificates, the vast majority of these ICD codes are assigned automatically by software. Only complicated cases are manually coded.

Each state agency compiles the death certificates and uses a suite of automated coding software to translate the death certificate information into ICD-10 codes.

Since not all certificates can be coded automatically, some states employ mortality coders to handle complicated cases. Typically only one or two mortality coders work in the state offices, Anderson says.

However, it is not possible to know from the death certificate itself whether the ICD code was automatically assigned by software, or manually assigned by a human mortality coder.

Unless those who claim malicious alteration of the ICD code in any death certificate can offer actual evidence to back up that claim, he/she is likely lying to you.

Fact #5 : No Evidence Of Altered Death Certificates

There is no evidence that anyone actually altered those Minnesota death certificates. Neither the CDC / NCHS, nor the state health agencies.

Assigning an ICD-10 code that differs from the cause of death is not an alteration, which implies there was a different ICD-10 code earlier, and someone else changed it.

There is no evidence of any death certificates being altered, and the Brownstone Institute offered no evidence of that either.

And regardless what ICD-10 codes are assigned, mortality coders cannot change the causes of death listed on those death certificates.

Fact #6 : They Were Senior Citizens Who Died From Other Causes

The Brownstone Institute identified 7 death certificates from Minnesota which they claim list “covid vaccine as a cause of death“, but the CDC “omitted the corresponding ICD 10 code“.

But their death certificates listed other causes of death under Part 1 (Immediate Cause and Underlying Cause). None of them actually mentioned COVID-19 vaccine as an “Immediate Cause” or “Underlying Cause” of death.

Death #1 : 78 years old, sudden cardiac death with congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease

Death #2 : 77 years old, anoxic encephalopathy (brain injury from a lack of blood flow), with acute respiratory failure and cardiogenic shock after cardiac arrest

Death #3 : 92 years old, myocardial infarction (heart attack) with hypertension

Death #4 : 82 years old, natural causes with mitral stenosis and hypertension

Death #5 : 65 years old, myocardial infarction (presumed) with coronary artery disease, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension

Death #6 : 82 years old, hypoxic respiratory failure and septic shock with pneumonia, and acute myocardial infarction

Death #7 : 86 years old, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19 pneumonia, with hypertension, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and severe viral sepsis

The Brownstone Institute appeared to highlight them because COVID-19 vaccination was mentioned in Part II.

However, health issues mentioned in Part II refer to “other significant conditions contributing to death but not resulting in the underlying cause given in Part I“.

In other words – anything mentioned in Part II of the death certificate are NOT the direct cause of death.

Fact #7 : ICD Code May Not Match Official Cause Of Death

It is also important to point out that mortality coders have to follow a specific and complicated set of rules to assign the correct ICD-10 code for each deceased person.

The correct ICD-10 code may not necessarily be the same as the underlying cause of death identified by the coroner or doctor.

In part, the coding is meant to capture an underlying cause of death -the main disease, accident, or injury that caused the death. A death certificate usually lists more medical information than is directly reflected in the underlying cause of death.

These conditions are coded as multiple causes of death, which provide specifics of what contributed to a person’s death. While a physician may indicate an underlying cause of death on a death certificate, that categorization is not alw used by the coder, Anderson says.

ICD-10 provides mortality coders with a complicated set of rules that must be followed to select an underlying cause of death.

We don’t necessarily take what the certifier or physician writes as the underlying cause of death, because what they may write down may not necessarily be the best underlying cause, Anderson says. Even if they do it exactly correctly, since we are looking for something that is most useful from a public health standpoint, we may reselect another cause on the certificate.

Again – it is important to point out that regardless of what ICD codes are used, the causes of death on each death certificate do NOT change.

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Did CDC Quietly Recall Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine?!

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Did the US CDC just quietly recall the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, because it caused too many deaths and injuries?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : CDC Just Quietly Recalled Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine!

People are claiming that the US CDC just quietly recalled the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, because it caused too many deaths and injuries!

Died Suddenly : The checks have been cashed and the mission has been accomplished. They think they can begin to quietly roll back and that we will just forget.

Millions are injured, and millions are dead or dying slowly. Never forget what they have done.

Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis : COVID Vaccine pulled from US – No CDC comment.

Andrew Bridgen : Just like the AstraZeneca vaccine, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine has been quietly withdrawn and stocks destroyed. Both of these products were actually a strand of DNA and used an Adenovirus vector to enter the cells. Where are the national media headlines?…

TaraBull : Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has been pulled from the U.S. amid health concerns. Should Pfizer be next?

Truth : CDC Did Not Recall Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Use Limited In May 2022

The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson received an Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) from the FDA on February 27, 2021.

However, the FDA later limited its use on 5 May 2022, because it was shown to introduce a small risk of developing thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) – the same problem affecting the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Fact #2 : Pfizer + Moderna Introduced Bivalent Vaccines In 2022

Thanks to evolutionary pressures, these variants and subvariants have evolved to evade the protections offered by both vaccines and natural immunity from a prior infection.

To combat these new variants, Pfizer and Moderna developed bivalent mRNA vaccines, which target both the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus as well as the newer and much more infectious Omicron variant.

Pfizer and Moderna announced, on 25 June and 8 June respectively, that they successfully tested their bivalent COVID-19 vaccines. With the introduction of bivalent vaccines, there really isn’t any use for older monovalent vaccines like the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

Fact #3 : US CDC Did Not Recall Janssen COVID-19 Vaccines

Just to be clear – the US CDC did not recall the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.

The US CDC only updated its Janssen COVID-19 vaccine information page on May 10, 2023 to inform the public that the vaccine is no longer available in the United States.

Claims that the CDC did not mention any reason for this decision are also false. The CDC specifically said that the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is no longer available in the US, because all remaining stock expired on May 7, 2023!

Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is no longer available in the U.S. All remaining U.S. government stock of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine expired May 7, 2023. Dispose of any remaining Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations.

Fact #4 : US CDC Recommends Boosting With Bivalent Vaccines

The CDC recommended that those who received one or two doses of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine should receive one dose of the new bivalent mRNA vaccine from Moderna or Pfizer.

People ages 18 years and older who received 1 or 2 Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine dose are recommended to receive 1 bivalent mRNA dose (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) at least 2 months after completion of the previous dose.

Fact #5 : This Is Just COVID-19 Vaccine Fake News!

This is yet another example of fake news created to scare people about the COVID-19 vaccines. Here are other examples you may see circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms:

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did CDC Say COVID Vaccines Cause AIDS + Cancer?!

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Did the CDC say that COVID-19 vaccines increased AIDS related diseases and cancer by 338X in 2021?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : CDC Says COVID-19 Vaccines Increased AIDS + Cancer!

People are sharing an article by The Expose (formerly Daily Expose), which claims that the CDC just said that the COVID-19 vaccines increased AIDS-associated diseases and cancers by 338X in 2021!

Here is an excerpt from the really long article, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

COVID Vaccine roll-out caused 338x increase in AIDS-associated Diseases & Cancers in 2021 says CDC

Official data made available by the U.S. Government and Centers for Disease Control strongly suggests that fully vaccinated Americans may be developing Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or a similar disease that is decimating the innate immune system.

But they are not alone, because further data made available by the UK Government and the Government of Canada suggests the vaccinated population in both of these respective countries are also developing the debilitating condition.

It’s a common misconception that Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is only caused by the HIV virus. This simply isn’t true.

Acquired (or secondary) immunodeficiency is one of the major causes of infections in adults. These immunodeficiency disorders affect your immune system partially or as a whole, making your body an easy target for several diseases and infections. (Source)

When immunodeficiency disorders affect your immune system, your body can no longer fight bacteria and diseases.

Several factors in the environment can cause secondary immunodeficiency disorders. Some common ones are:

Radiation or chemotherapy, which can lead to a secondary immunodeficiency disorder known as neutropenia
Infections due to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can result in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Leukaemia, a cancer that begins in the cells of the bone marrow that can lead to hypogammaglobulinemia—a type of secondary immunodeficiency
Malnutrition, which affects up to 50% of populations in underdeveloped countries and leaves people vulnerable to respiratory infections and diarrhoea

But some of the less common causes include Drugs or medications.

So it’s perfectly possible for a medication or drug to cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and data published by the U.S Government and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) strongly suggests the Covid-19 injections should be added to the list.

For months on end, official data coming out of both the UK and Canada has strongly insinuated that the vaccinated population are developing a new form of AIDS. This is because the Covid-19 injections are proving to have a real-world negative effectiveness, implying that they are causing damage to the natural immune system.

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Truth : CDC Did Not Say COVID-19 Vaccines Increase AIDS + Cancer

This is just another example of FAKE NEWS from the notorious fake news website, The Expose, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : The Expose Is A Notorious Fake News Website

Like Real Raw News and NewsPunch, Daily Expose is a FAKE NEWS website that capitalises on making shocking but fake stories to generate page views and money. It was later rebranded as The Expose.

Founded in November 2020 by Jonathan Allen-Walker – a mechanic from Lincolnshire, The Expose / Daily Expose is infamous for publishing COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from Daily Expose / The Expose. Here are some of its fake stories that I personally debunked earlier:

Everything posted by The Expose / Daily Expose must be considered fake news, until proven otherwise.

Fact #2 : Adverse Events Are Not Side Effects

Anti-vaccination activists and websites often mention “adverse events” instead of “side effects”, and that’s intentional.

Adverse events are simply “unfavourable” or “unintended” events that happen after vaccination, even if they are unrelated to the vaccine itself. Adverse events can include vaccine-related events like an anaphylactic reaction, or something completely unrelated like getting into a car accident right after vaccination.

Just because they were reported to monitoring systems like VAERS in the US, or Yellow Card in the UK, it does not mean that they are vaccine side effects. Reported adverse events have to be investigated to find out if they are related (anaphylactic reaction) or not (getting into a car accident) to the vaccine or drug that was taken.

Even if an adverse event was “possibly caused” by the vaccine, it must still be confirmed that the vaccine directly caused it, because an anaphylactic reaction (for example) can also occur from a bee sting, or an existing peanut allergy.

Only once an adverse event is confirmed to be caused by the vaccine, is it then a vaccine side effect. Otherwise, it is merely an adverse event, not a side effect.

That is why it is not only wrong, but grossly irresponsible, to use adverse events to scare people into thinking that they are vaccine side effects.

Fact #3 : Adverse Event Monitoring Systems Are Open To Abuse

Adverse event monitoring systems like VAERS and Yellow Card were intentionally designed to be open to anyone to report anything. This lets scientists catch as many adverse events as possible, to hopefully pick out very rare side effects that even large trials may not catch.

Unfortunately, this open design also makes them notoriously susceptible to abuse, and false reporting. Not just doctors and their patients, but literally any Tom, Dick, or Harry with nothing better to do, can create and file nonsensical adverse event reports.

This is why VAERS, for example, is a favourite tool for anti-vaccination activists. Not only can they create fake reports to inflate the numbers of adverse events, and/or to generate fake news, they often use its unverified adverse events statistics to drive the perception that COVID-19 vaccines cause a lot of death and injuries.

The CDC is well-aware of this problem, which is why they explicitly pointed out to everyone that :

Reports may include incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental and unverified information.
The number of reports alone cannot be interpreted or used to reach conclusions about the existence, severity, frequency, or rates of problems associated with vaccines.

For certain, CDC did not say that the VAERS reports show that COVID-19 vaccines increased AIDS and cancer by 338X in 2021!

So next time you see any report that mentions VAERS, take it with a big pinch of salt. Better still, ignore it completely.

Fact #4 : AIDS Is Caused By HIV Infection

The Expose / Daily Expose falsely claims that AIDS have multiple causes, including “drugs or medications”. That’s nonsense. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is only caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

HIV infections go through different stages – from an acute infection, to clinical latency, before it progresses to the AIDS stage, which is defined as a HIV infection with either :

a CD4⁺ T cell count below 200 cells per µL, or
the occurrence of specific diseases associated with HIV infection

The Expose / Daily Expose (intentionally?) confused AIDS with Secondary Immunodeficiency Disorders (SID).

Since AIDS can only be caused by a HIV infection, the entire premise of its article falls into pieces. It’s complete and utter nonsense – COVID-19 vaccines do not cause AIDS!

Fact #5 : HIV Is Different From SARS-CoV-2

Just to be clear, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a completely different virus from SARS-CoV-2 – the COVID-19 virus.

HIV viruses are single-stranded retroviruses from the Lentivirus genus, and are transmitted through sexual contact, or transfer of blood and bodily fluids.

SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded coronavirus from the Betacoronavirus genus, and is airborne, mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets and aerosols.

There is no conceivable way for COVID-19 vaccines, or even COVID-19 infections, to cause AIDS…. or to “create a new form of AIDS”. That’s nonsense.

Fact #6 : COVID-19 Vaccines Do Not Damage Immune System

COVID-19 vaccines do not damage your immune system, because they are really just training camps for your immune system.

All they do is teach your immune system how to identify the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Your own immune system will then develop its own antibodies to protect against the real coronavirus when you get infected.

Like special forces training for soldiers in an army, vaccines boost your immune system’s ability to fight back against a new enemy.

COVID-19 vaccines certainly cannot cause AIDS by damaging your immune system Again, AIDS can only be caused by a HIV infection!

Everything posted by The Expose must be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.

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Did WHO Recommend Permanent Use Of Face Mask?!

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Did the WHO just recommend the PERMANENT use of face mask to combat COVID-19?!

Claim : WHO Recommends Permanent Use Of Face Mask!

People are sharing a Substack article called “WHO Unbelievably Recommends Permanent Masking, While New Study Confirms Vaccine Mandates Were Useless” with comments like these:

Steve Kirsch : In a remarkable feat of anti-science commitment, the WHO recently reaffirmed that it will join the CDC in reaffirming its absolute dedication to universal mask wearing to stop the spread of COVID. You can’t make this stuff up… you really can’t.

The WHO and the CDC now joining forces to mandate mask wearing. 🤡🌎

Despite Years of Failure, WHO Unbelievably Recommends Permanent Masking, While New Study Confirms Vaccine Mandates Were Useless

The W.H.O. & C.D.C move on mask mandates, regardless of science, days before the Biden Administration plans to hand over our nation’s sovereignty to the W.H.O. on the 27th?

Truth : WHO Did Not Recommend Permanent Use Of Face Mask!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Article Offered No Evidence Of WHO Face Mask Mandate

The claim that the WHO has recommended the permanent use of face mask is based on a single Substack article by Ian Miller, specifically these parts.

Experts got vaccine mandates horribly wrong, while the WHO demands permanent masking in defiance of scientific evidence.

In a remarkable feat of anti-science commitment the World Health Organization recently reaffirmed that it will join the CDC in reaffirming its absolute dedication to universal mask wearing to stop the spread of COVID.

It would be remarkable if it’s true, but the writer did not actually offer any evidence to back up that claim.

Fact #2 : WHO Only Recommends Using Face Mask In Specific Situations

The article likely refers to a 13 January 2023 update by the WHO on its face mask wearing guidelines.

WHO has not changed its recommendation that the public should still continue to use a face mask in specific situations:

a recent exposure to COVID-19
when you have COVID-19
when you suspect you may have COVID-19
when you are at high-risk of severe COVID-19
if you are in a crowded, enclosed, or poorly-ventilated space

So the claim that the WHO is demanding / recommending the permanent use of face mask, or a face mask all the time, is nonsense.

Fact #3 : WHO Only Changed Previous Advice On Epidemiological Situation

The only change WHO made was to recommend the use of a face mask in the situations above, regardless of the epidemiological situation – whether there is significant COVID-19 spread at the time and place, or not.

The WHO made the slight change in its face mask recommendation due to the “current spread of COVID-19 globally”. As COVID-19 is now widespread globally, it no longer makes sense to make those face mask recommendations based on the epidemiological situation.

WHO continues to recommend the use of masks by the public in specific situations, and this update recommends their use irrespective of the local epidemiological situation, given the current spread of the COVID-19 globally.

Masks are recommended following a recent exposure to COVID-19, when someone has or suspects they have COVID-19, when someone is at high-risk of severe COVID-19, and for anyone in a crowded, enclosed, or poorly ventilated space. Previously, WHO recommendations were based on the epidemiological situation.

Fact #4 : WHO Guidelines Are Not Mandatory

The claims that the WHO is “demanding” the use of a face mask is nonsense.

These WHO guidelines and recommendations are not mandatory for any person or country to adopt.

Fact #5 : WHO Cannot Supersede National Sovereignty

The claims that countries are handing over their sovereignty to the WHO to implement such face mask / vaccine mandates is nonsense.

The Charter of the United Nations guarantees the sovereign right to determine and manage their approach to public health. This was specifically pointed out in the zero draft of a proposed WHO agreement on preparing for future pandemics:

3. Sovereignty – States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to determine and manage their approach to public health, notably pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery of health systems, pursuant to their own policies and legislation, provided that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to their peoples and other countries. Sovereignty also covers the rights of States over their biological resources.

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Did CDC + FDA Warn Of Stroke From Pfizer Vaccine?!

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Did the CDC and FDA warn that the new Pfizer bivalent vaccine can cause a brain stroke?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : CDC + FDA Just Warned Of Stroke From Pfizer Vaccine!

People are sharing various articles about a new CDC and FDA notification on the new Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, together with alarming comments, like:

CDC/FDA lied to the American public & Big Pharma lied , withheld information…Now because of the fear of the Republican House the Truth starts to come out … CDC, FDA see possible link between Pfizer’s bivalent shot and strokes

BREAKING: The CDC is now investigating a possible link between Pfizer Covid Vaccines and strokes

Time to sue everyone who pushed a vaccine. Your employer. The government. Retail stores. Everyone needs to be held accountable

‼️BREAKING‼️

US says Pfizer’s bivalent 💉 may be LINKED to a type of brain stroke in older adults

SCARY

You know there’s a real & dangerous problem when BOTH the CDC & FDA raise a safety issue

They’re covering themselves BUT you’ve been WARNED

Truth : CDC + FDA Did Not Warn Of Stroke From Pfizer Vaccine!

It is true that the CDC and FDA released a notification about the new Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. However, it has been twisted to falsely claim that the CDC and FDA are warning people about the risk of stroke from the COVID-19 vaccine.

Fact #1 : CDC + FDA Notification Is Available Online

On Friday, January 13, 2023, the CDC and FDA published a notification on a “preliminary safety signal” involving the new Pfizer COVID-19 bivalent vaccine, which is available online.

I strongly encourage you to read it for yourself, but for your easier understanding, here is a quick summary:

the CDC and FDA use multiple, complementary safety monitoring systems to look for potential “safety signals” in vaccines and other medicine.
the CDC Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) surveillance system detected one safety signal, which met the statistical criteria to trigger further investigation.
the safety signal involved only the new Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, and people who were 65 years and older.
the preliminary signal “appeared” to show that people who were 65 years and older were “more likely” to have an ischaemic stroke in the 21 days after receiving the Pfizer bivalent vaccine, compared to days 22-42 after vaccination.
only VSD surveillance has detected this safety signal – no other safety system has shown a similar signal.
multiple, subsequent analyses failed to validate this safety signal
the CDC continues to recommend that people get the bivalent vaccine.

Fact #2 : Multiple Analyses + Studies Fail To Validate This Signal

While the CDC and FDA will continue to evaluate the data, they pointed out that multiple analyses and studies failed to validate this safety signal.

A large study of bivalent vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services database show no increased risk of ischemic stroke
A preliminary study using the Veterans Affairs database do not show an increased risk of ischemic stroke after receiving the bivalent vaccine
The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has not seen an increase in reporting of ischemic strokes following the use of the bivalent vaccine
Pfizer-BioNTech’s global safety database has not indicated a signal for ischemic stroke with the bivalent vaccine
Other countries have not observed an increased risk for ischemic stroke with bivalent vaccines

Again, the VSD surveillance system was the only one producing this safety signal. No other surveillance system or study has been able to confirm or validate this safety signal.

In fact, the CDC made a point in their notification to say that “it is very unlikely that the signal in VSD represents a true clinical risk“.

Fact #3 : Safety Signals Are Not Evidence Of Causation

Safety signals function like tripwires, alerting health authorities into taking a close look at potential issues with vaccines or medicines.

Just because a safety signal was detected, it does not mean there is an actual problem. Like actual tripwires can be accidentally triggered by animals or falling branches, safety signals may be the result of random chance or other factors (see next fact).

The detection of any safety signal merely means that the CDC and FDA should take a closer look.

Fact #4 : Elderly Population At Higher Risk Of Stroke

I should point out that the safety signal was identified only in elderly people who were 65 years and older.

The VSD system, in this case, found that 130 people who were 65 years and older had a stroke within 21 days of receiving the new bivalent vaccine, out of about 550,000 senior citizens. It should be noted that no deaths were reported.

That may sound alarming, but this population segment is itself at significantly higher risk of developing blood clots, which can cause ischaemic stroke:

High Risk

hospital stay
major surgery – abdominal / pelvic surgery, or knee / hip replacement surgery
major trauma : automobile accident or fall
nursing home living

Moderate Risk

65 years or older
trips over 4 years by plane, car, train or bus
co-morbidities like heart failure, obesity, cancer

That is why such safety signals have to be investigated, as it is still not certain if the 130 senior citizens who suffered a stroke had higher risk factors like surgery or immobility.

Fact #5 : CDC Still Recommends Getting Bivalent Vaccines

The CDC issued that notification as a matter of transparency, and not because there was a genuine reason for concern.

If the CDC and FDA had any reason to believe that the Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccine can cause stroke in senior citizens who receive it, they would have at least amended their vaccine recommendations.

Yet, the CDC continues to recommend that people who are eligible to receive the updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine should continue to get them.

The CDC also stressed that multiple studies have shown that “staying up-to-date with vaccines is the most effective tool we have for reducing death, hospitalisation, and severe disease from COVID-19“.

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Is Chris Hemsworth Taking Break Over Alzheimer’s Gene News?!

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Is Chris Hemsworth taking a break from acting, after discovering he has a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Chris Hemsworth Is Taking Break Over Alzheimer’s Gene News!

The entertainment industry is abuzz over a Vanity Fair article about Chris Hemsworth, after he revealed that he has a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease!

Many reported that Chris Hemsworth has decided to take a break from acting after receiving the news he has not one, but two APOE4 genes, which predisposes to Alzheimer’s disease.

The Star : Chris Hemsworth to take acting break after Alzheimer’s predisposition discovery

MARCA : Chris Hemsworth is taking a break from acting after discovering his high Alzheimer’s risk

GameSpot : Chris Hemsworth Taking A Break From Acting After Discovering He Is At Risk For Alzheimer’s

Variety : Chris Hemsworth ‘Taking Time Off,’ Discovered Genetic Predisposition for Alzheimer’s Disease: ‘I’m Going to Just Simplify’

Truth : Chris Hemsworth NOT Taking Break Over Alzheimer’s Gene News!

Unfortunately, this is yet another case of FAKE NEWS created by writers who did not read the Vanity Fair article, or just wanted to inject more drama into the story…

Fact #1 : Chris Hemsworth Was Tested While Filming Limitless

First, let’s start with some basic facts about how Chris Hemsworth came to discover he had a genetic predisposition for developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Earlier this year, Chris Hemsworth worked on the National Geographic documentary series, Limitless, which looks at how we might be able to push back on the natural aging process.
To prepare for the fifth episode on the topic of Memory, he underwent tests, which eventually revealed that he had a very strong predisposition to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Specifically, the tests show that he has two copies of the APOE4 gene – one from his mother, and one from his father.
According to a 2021 National Institutes of Health study, one in four people will carry a single copy of the gene, but only 2 to 3% of the population will have both copies of the APOE4 gene.

Okay, now that you have the context, let’s take a look at why Chris Hemsworth is NOT taking a break from acting over this shocking discovery.

Fact #2 : Chris Hemsworth Does NOT Have Alzheimer’s Disease

Let me start by clearing up another claim – that Chris Hemsworth already has Alzheimer’s disease.

No, Chris Hemsworth does NOT have Alzheimer’s disease. He was only joking when he suggested that his “memory’s getting worse“.

CH : Since you told me that, I feel like my memory’s getting worse. It’s a placebo effect—or it’s taking place! [Laughs]

VF : Anytime you forget something it’s like, “Oh no, is this it?”

CH : Yeah, it’s my excuse now.

Fact #3 : Chris Hemsworth May Not Develop Alzheimer’s Disease

Having two copies of the APOE4 gene does NOT necessarily mean Chris Hemsworth will develop Alzheimer’s disease in the future.

APOE4 (also known as apolipoprotein E) is not a pre-deterministic gene, although it strongly predisposes towards the development of Alzheimer’s disease. It also doesn’t help that Chris Hemworth’s grandfather has Alzheimer’s disease.

That said – neither of his parents have developed Alzheimer’s disease, and it is possible that Chris may not develop it either.

That’s why genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease is not recommended for most people – a positive result does not necessarily mean you will develop it, but could result in undue stress and anxiety.

Fact #4 : Risk Of Alzheimer’s Can Be Reduced

Regardless of any genetic predisposition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease can be reduced by these ways:

regular exercise
managing your blood sugar level
maintaining a healthy weight
stop smoking
avoid excessive drinking
getting enough sleep

Chris took the test results in stride, and saw them as a way to be prepared and work to prevent it from happening:

Like everything in the show I went, “Okay, great. I now have to work on this more.” If you look at Alzheimer’s prevention, the benefit of preventative steps is that it affects the rest of your life. ]

When you have preposition to cardiovascular heart disease, cancer, anything—it’s all about sleep management, stress management, nutrition, movement, fitness. It’s all kind of the same tools that need to be applied in a consistent way.

Fact #5 : Chris Hemsworth Has Been Working Less

Chris Hemsworth then told Vanity Fair that he has become more selective in who he works with, because he has a wife and three young kids.

Now, if something’s going to pull me away from my family and my kids, it’s got to be a positive, constructive, collaborative experience. I shot with George Miller on the new prequel to Fury Road, part of the Mad Max saga, and I said to my agent said, “That’s where I want to spend my work hours; with someone who is kind and collaborative and interesting.”

Fact #6 : Chris Hemsworth Is Just Taking Some Time Off

When Chris Hemsworth talked about a different Limitless episode he did on death, he realised that he didn’t want to miss watching his kids grow up:

“Oh my God, they’re getting older, they’re growing up and I keep slapping another movie on top of another movie.” Before you know it, they’re 18 and they’ve moved out of house, and I missed the window.

That was the trigger for him to decide on “taking some time off“. It’s no different from how we all need a break, and go on a holiday, or spend more time with the family.

Now when I finish this tour this week, I’m going home and I’m going to have a good chunk of time off and just simplify. Be with the kids, be with my wife.

To be clear – Chris Hemsworth is just taking a holiday, and that had NOTHING to do with the discovery he has a predisposition to develop Alzheimer’s disease in the future.

Fact #7 : Chris Hemsworth Still Wants To Act

Just in case it was not clear enough that he’s not going to quit acting, Chris Hemsworth told Vanity Fair that he is still excited about acting, but is just “going to recharge” and “not be so focused on … what’s next”.

I can talk to you for hours about what I want to do, but it doesn’t fill my head 24/7 like it used to. That’s not out of having lost any of the passion for it, it’s just a sense of contentment, and with being very proud of what I’ve done and the experiences I’ve had. I welcome whatever comes next.

As if sensing that some writer out there is going to misunderstand what he told Vanity Fair, Chris Hemsworth repeated that he was not talking about retiring.

I’m not talking about retiring by any means, but like you said: it’s a more curated approach to things.

So let’s not make up stories about how poor Chris Hemsworth is so distraught that he has to take a break from acting to sob over the possibility of developing Alzheimer’s disease in the distant future.

Anyone who actually bothered to read the Vanity Fair interview would have seen him as a man on a mission to enjoy some time with his young family, while working to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in the future, because he knows what matters most to him, more than his fans or the films he makes – his family.

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Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel Arrested For Murder?!

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Was Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel just arrested by US Special Forces, and charged with multiple counts of vaccine-related murder?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the FACTS really are!

Claim : Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel Arrested For Murder!

On 7 November 2022, Michael Baxter (real name : Michael Tuffin) wrote an article claiming that the CEO of Moderna, Stéphane Bancel, was just arrested by US Special Forces and charged with multiple counts of murder related to its COVID-19 vaccine.

It is long and rambling, so please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

U.S. Special Forces on October 30 arrested Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel on charges of murder as the pharmaceutical mogul and eugenicist exited a posh restaurant on the outskirts of D.C., where he had planned a business dinner with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky—but she never showed up. Sources in General David H. Berger’s office told Real Raw News that White Hats had been monitoring the detestable duo’s phone calls for months; Bancel and Walensky had spoken often, at least weekly, with Bancel asking her to board a flight to Paris, his home city, to discuss in person the “many lucrative benefits” of merging Covid-19 and Influenza vaccinations into a single inoculation.

But a fearful Walensky, who spoke in tremulous whispers, expressed trepidations about leaving the Beltway. She told Bancel on an Oct 17 call that she “felt safe” in D.C. and that “Covid deniers” were plotting her downfall. She admitted to him that she hadn’t even visited the CDC’s Atlanta headquarters in months, for fear of being “illegally apprehended” or killed. She agreed, though, that further discussion on the hybrid vaccine ought to be in person to mitigate risk of someone eavesdropping on phone calls or digital transmissions. Donald J. Trump, she said, had spies everywhere.

After much back and forth, Bancel on October 25 agreed to fly from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris to Dulles International Airport in Virginia. He would arrive in the U.S. aboard Air France flight AFR26 at approximately 7:00 pm, on October 29, he said to Walensky, adding that he would spend the night at a hotel before meeting her at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Mclean, Virginia, the following evening. His last message to Walensky before boarding the flight: “I know, Rochelle, you are also talking to [Pfizer CEO] Bourla. It would be in both our interests to reach a deal of exclusivity.”

Unbeknownst to Bancel, U.S. Special Forces had eyes on him the moment he deplaned. According to sources, Marine Corps General David H. Berger and 5^th Special Forces Group Commander Col. Brent Linemen considered grabbing Bancel at the hotel and picking up Walensky at the restaurant the next evening. They ultimately rejected that idea, believing that Walensky might get tipped off to Bancel’s sudden disappearance. “It’s better to kill two birds with one stone,” Gen. Berger reportedly said.

Special Forces dressed in civvies and driving civilian vehicles tailed Bancel and his chauffer from the airport to the Watermark Hotel in Tysons, Virginia, where he used fake credentials to check in under an assumed name–Émile Blaise. His chauffer, later identified as Ralph Adleman, an employee of Virginia Limousine Service of Richmond, stayed at the same hotel in a different suite, paid for by Bancel.

Neither Bancel nor Adleman left their rooms until 6:30 pm the next day. They then drove a stretch limousine from the hotel to the restaurant, a 15-minute drive. Adleman stayed with the limo in the parking lot as Bancel entered the restaurant and was seated at a corner table—but his guest of honor, Rochelle Walensky, was not present. Meanwhile, Special Forces across the street watched Bancel with binoculars and listened to him with parabolic microphones as he ate a plate of Hors D’oeuvres and imbibed a few cocktails. Bancel mumbled under his breath, “Where are you? Why aren’t you here?” and tried to reach someone, ostensibly Walensky, on his cellphone.

Thirty minutes later Bancel paid his tab and left the restaurant, hustling across the parking lot to the limo. Special Forces shadowed the limousine as it peeled out of the parking lot and began speeding toward an unknown location. It got less than a mile when Special Forces cut it off, blockading it between their own SUVs. It took less than two minutes for Special Forces to pull Bancel from the limo and place him under arrest, while the chauffer was set free with a dire warning to not discuss under any circumstances what had just happened. Special Forces took Bancel to a processing center for interrogation, sources told RRN.

“We don’t know why Walensky didn’t show. We wanted both. But for now, we’ll take Bancel. We can’t charge him with treason because he’s not a U.S. citizen. But we can charge him on many counts of murder based on the number of people his vaccine has killed. Maybe Walensky caught wind of our operation—we don’t know. We’ll get her eventually, just like we got Fauci. They can run but they can’t hide forever. Bancel is now detained as an enemy combatant, and he will face a military tribunal,” our source said.

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Truth : Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel Was NOT Arrested!

The truth is – this is just another FAKE STORY created by Real Raw News, just to generate page views and money.

Everything that Real Raw News posts must be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.

Fact #1 : Real Raw News Is A Fake News Website

Real Raw News is a FAKE NEWS website that capitalises on making shocking but fake stories to generate page views and money.

To protect himself from legal repercussions, the owner and writer, Michael Baxter (real name – Michael Tuffin), claims that his articles are “humour, parody, and satire“.

This disclaimer, which is not clearly mentioned in his articles, lets him keep creating fake news that will go viral, and generate him money.

His articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from his website. Here are some of his fake stories that I personally debunked earlier:

Fact #2 : No Legitimate Report Of Stephane Bancel’s Arrest

Only Real Raw News has published this fantastical account of US special forces arresting Stéphane Bancel outside a DC restaurant.

There is no remotely similar report from any legitimate news outlet, nor an official statement by the government.

How likely is it for a one-man operation like Real Raw News to have a scoop on this “story”?

A March 2018 screenshot of Michael Tuffin, who goes by the pseudonym Michael Baxter

Fact #3 : Moderna Is A Public-Listed Company

Moderna is a public-listed company, and is traded on the Nasdaq as MRNA. Its shareholders would have to be informed if their company CEO was really arrested.

It is NOT POSSIBLE to keep quiet and pretend it didn’t happen. It’s not even legal to cover up such an event from the shareholders.

Fact #4 : Stéphane Bancel + Moderna Issued A Press Statement

On Tuesday, November 1, 2022, Moderna issued an updated 2022 COVID-19 vaccine sales forecast. In that statement, its CEO Stéphane Bancel said:.

Along with production delays, Moderna’s third quarter was marred with manufacturing complexities due to shifting from 10-dose vials to 5-dose vials and the roll out of new bivalent vaccines that target both the original coronavirus and Omicron variants. We are working through a lot of those issues as we speak.

That would not be possible if Stéphane Bancel was really arrested by US Special Forces less than 2 days earlier!

https://youtu.be/AQAG-bBfnuo

Fact #5 : US Military Cannot Arrest Civilians Within The United States

It is ludicrous for Real Raw News to claim that US special forces arrested Stephane Bancel.

The Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C. § 1385) prohibits “the wilful use of any part of the Army or Air Force to execute the law unless expressly authorised by the Constitution or an act of Congress“.

If the US government wanted to arrest Stephane Bancel, they would have sent the police with a warrant… not US special forces.

Fact #6 : France Has Extradition Treaty With The United States

France and the United States have an extradition treaty since 1996.

That means that the United States can order the arrest of Stephane Bancel even if he is residing in Paris. There is no need to wait for him to return to the United States.

Fact #7 : Stéphane Bancel Lives In Boston, Not Paris

It is also ludicrous for Real Raw News to claim that US Special Forces had to wait for Stephane Bancel to fly from Paris into US territory to arrest him, because he actually lives in the city of Boston, Massachusetts!

If the US government wanted to arrest Stephane Bancel, they can do it at any time. It’s not like no one knows where he lives in Boston.

On 30 September 2021, a group of scientists, doctors and public health advocates actually protested in front of his home on Chestnut Street in Beacon Hill.

They brought a 12-foot-tall structure of artificial human bones, and called for Moderna to share its vaccine knowledge with the US government and other countries.

Fact #8 : US Military Tribunals Are Only For Foreign Combatants

It is also stupid for Real Raw News to claim that Bancel would be charged as an enemy combatant in a military tribunal, when he is a French civilian.

Military tribunals in the United States can only be conducted for members of enemy forces during wartime. The United States is not at war with France.

Needless to say – Stephane Bancel is also not in the French military, so even if he was arrested, there is no way he would be tried in a military tribunal.

Fact #9 : Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Under FDA Regulatory Oversight

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was confirmed to be safe and effective, after it successfully concluded its clinical trials with an efficacy of 94.5% against symptomatic COVID-19 infection, in a large study involving over 30,000 participants.

The VRBPAC committee vetted and discussed the study findings on 17 December 2020, and recommended that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine receive its Emergency Use Authorisation, which the FDA granted on 18 December 2020.

Like ALL other vaccines, the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was under FDA regulatory oversight. If Moderna lied about their results, the FDA would not have continued to re-issue or amend its EUA and full approval time and time again.

Information	Date
Letter of Authorization (Reissued)	October 12, 2022
Letter Granting EUA Amendment	December 9, 2021
Letter of Authorization (Reissued)	November 19, 2021
Memorandum to the File	October 20, 2021
Decision Memorandum	October 20, 2021
Advisory Committee Meeting Information	October 14, 2021
Letter Granting EUA Amendment	August 30, 2021
Decision Memorandum	August 12, 2021
Letter Granting EUA Amendment	June 25, 2021
Letter Granting EUA Amendment	April 1, 2021
FDA Decision Memorandum	December 18, 2020
Advisory Committee Meeting Information	December 17, 2020

Everything that Real Raw News posts should be regarded as FAKE NEWS.

Now that you know the facts, please SHARE THIS FACT CHECK out!

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Were COVID-19 Vaccines Recalled After 40K Deaths?!

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Have COVID-19 vaccines been recalled after over 40,000 deaths were reported in major safety databases?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : COVID-19 Vaccines Were Recalled After 40K Deaths!

People are sharing a video of Dr. Peter McCullough testifying to a Senate Committee on Health & Human Services, as evidence that COVID-19 vaccines have been recalled after 40,000 deaths!

It is often shared with comments like this :

50 deaths is the threshold for a vaccine recall.

40,000 #COVID19 #VaccineDeaths and no recall.

Ask yourself, why is this the first in history?

The video shows Dr. Peter McCullough making a number of claims. Here is my transcript. It’s long so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts…

This month, the World Council for Health, which represents 70 bodies worldwide, has called for a global recall of all vaccines, because worldwide 40,000 deaths that these safety databases across the world… 40,000 in the big ones – VAERS, the Yellow Card System, the VigiSafe [sic] and Eudrys [sic] system. 40,000 deaths with the vaccines.

Unacceptably high. Technical standard for any biologic product is 50 deaths – pull it off the market. Something’s gone wrong. 50, not 40 thousand.

So when there is a global recall by an international organisation, this committee ought to be having emergency meetings. What are we going to do? A worldwide body has called for these to pull off the market.

They are still giving it. You just heard from the pharmacy director ahead of me. He is still giving them out.

When there is a worldwide recall, there should be some committee meeting so you have it down, I mean you can tell something is going on here, that we are in trouble in terms of vaccine safety.

Doctor Malone’s covered vaccine efficacy, which has honestly waned. I will just tell you that the CDC told us, as of December 10th, 2021, with the Omicron strain, 79% of people with Omicron were fully-vaccinated. That is prima facie evidence that the vaccines have completely failed against Omicron.

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Truth : COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe + Were Not Recalled!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by anti-vaccination activists, including Dr. Peter McCullough himself, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : It Was A Texas Senate Hearing

First, let us understand the context behind the viral video.

It was a partial clip from a 10.5 hour long interim hearing on public health data and the COVID-19 pandemic response held by the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee on June 27, 2022.

The Texas Senate hearing was just political theatre, in which the Republicans brought in fringe doctors or scientists like Peter McCullough and Robert Malone to, well, tell their lies.

I will now go through the McCullough clip (which starts at about 8:05:00), and show you why he has not changed his lying ways…

Fact #2 : No COVID-19 Vaccines Were Recalled

Just to be clear – no COVID-19 vaccines were recalled, either by health authorities or the manufacturers themselves.

That is merely a fantasy conjured up by anti-vaccination activists, just like how they fantasised in August 2021 that Germany put all COVID-19 vaccines on hold!

Fact #3 : WCH Called For Vaccine Recall Since Sept. 2021

Despite its name – the World Council for Health (WCH) is really just another anti-vaccination organisation, filled with the usual suspects.

Just to be clear – it has no authority whatsoever. The WCH is nothing more than an antivaxxer club.

The WCH was launched on September 23, 2021 with the expressed purpose of calling for “an Immediate Stop to the Covid-19 Experimental Vaccines“. They also issued a Cease and Desist declaration, claiming that “Covid-19 vaccinations are dangerous and unsafe for human use“.

So Peter McCullough falsely claimed that WCH called for a vaccine recall “this month”. It has been calling for a vaccine recall from the very first day it was established. That is really its sole purpose – to stop COVID-19 vaccinations.

Fact #4 : VigiSafe + Eudrys Do Not Exist

Peter McCullough referred to the VigiSafe and Eudrys vaccine safety databases, but they do not exist.

Perhaps he meant the WHO VigiBase / VigiAccess database, and the EudraVigilance system run by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Fact #5 : Pharmacovigilance Data Is Unverified

It is hilarious that Peter McCullough still insists on using pharmacovigilance data from VAERS, the Yellow Card system, etc. as evidence.

Anyone who even bothers to read the highlighted WARNINGS on those websites would have understood that their data and reports cannot be considered evidence of any kind, because:

they may contain duplicated information and/or reports
the reported event may be caused by an illness, like a COVID-19 infection for example,
the reported event may be caused by a different drug taken by the patient at the same time
they have not been assessed by health authorities to ascertain if it’s even “biologically plausible”

Anti-vaccination activists can, for example, key in unlimited numbers of adverse reaction reports, even if they never received a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine!

Fact #6 : 40,000 Deaths Not Proven To Be Caused By Vaccines

Using pharmacovigilance data to claim that the COVID-19 vaccines caused 40,000 deaths is disinformation – false information deliberately created to deceive you.

Peter McCullough has no evidence that the 40,000 deaths reported in pharmacovigilance data were actually caused by COVID-19 vaccines.

Making an adverse reaction report is no different from making a police report. If you make a police report, it is registered in the system. However, that doesn’t mean a crime was actually committed. The police will have to investigate and determine if you were lying / mistaken, or there was indeed a crime.

Similarly, these adverse reaction reports are just reports. They must first be investigated, in order to determine if they are really side effects of the vaccine, or completely unrelated.

Fact #7 : There Is No 50 Death Threshold For Vaccine Withdrawal

There is no such thing as a 50 death threshold for a vaccine withdrawal.

Vaccines are often recalled for non-lethal reasons. In fact, they are most often recalled in batches by their manufacturers after quality control tests showed some irregularities in certain batches.

Health authorities like the US FDA also monitor vaccines continuously and determine if there is a safety concern that warrants a withdrawal. They do not have to wait for 50 people to die first. That’s just absurd!

Sometimes vaccines are also recalled due to “low vaccine potency or strength”. In such cases, people who received them would need to get an extra dose!

Fact #8 : There Were Only 43 Omicron Cases On Dec. 10, 2021

It is interesting that Peter McCullough would talk about Omicron cases six months in the past.

But if you dig a little deeper, you will realise that he chose to talk about Omicron cases on December 10, 2021 because it was the first CDC report on Omicron cases in the United States.

At that time, there were only 43 known Omicron cases in the United States. Even though it showed that 79% were fully-vaccinated, that is misleading due to the low number of cases.

Fact #9 : Vaccinated People Have Mild Symptoms, Fewer Deaths

What he does not tell you is that most fully-vaccinated people experience mild symptoms even if they were infected with the Omicron variant.

He also does not tell you that COVID-19 deaths for fully-vaccinated people remain low, even as surges increased deaths for unvaccinated people, regardless of variant.

Fact #10 : Vaccines Were Meant To Prevent Hospitalisation + Death

Peter McCullough falsely claimed that the 79% result was “prima facie evidence” that the COVID-19 vaccines failed to work against the Omicron variant.

The COVID-19 vaccines are not force fields – they cannot block infections. They were designed to prevent symptomatic infections, severe disease and death by training your own immune system to defend itself against the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The Omicron variant causes more breakthrough infections, but the COVID-19 vaccines continue to protect against severe disease leading to hospitalisations, and death from the Omicron variant.

The truth is – the COVID-19 vaccines still work well against the Omicron variants. They may not prevent infections, but they will ensure you have milder symptoms, and greatly reduce your risk of severe disease and death.

Fact #11 : Booster Doses Increase Protection Against Omicron

What Peter McCullough does not mention is the fact that you can improve your protection against the Omicron variant by getting a booster dose (or two).

A January 2022 study by the CDC showed that getting a third dose of any mRNA vaccine increases protection against both the Delta and Omicron variants.

Fact #12 : Anti-Vaccine Claims Keep Being Proven False

This is yet another example of anti-vaccination activists twisting the facts to deceive you into believing that vaccines are dangerous. Here are some other examples:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

And please protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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FDA Approves Pfizer + Moderna Vaccine For Children Under 5!

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The US FDA just approved both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 years old!

Here is what you need to know!

FDA Approves Pfizer + Moderna Vaccine For Children Under 5!

On 17 June 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 years old!

Specifically, the FDA authorised the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6 months to 4 years old; and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6 months to 17 years old.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was already authorised for use in children in 5 years and above, but Moderna’s vaccine was only authorised for use in adults 18 years and above.

With this FDA authorisation, both Pfizer-BioNTech COMIRNATY and Moderna Spikevax vaccines are now approved for use in all individuals who are at least 6 months old.

Many parents, caregivers and clinicians have been waiting for a vaccine for younger children and this action will help protect those down to 6 months of age. As we have seen with older age groups, we expect that the vaccines for younger children will provide protection from the most severe outcomes of COVID-19, such as hospitalization and death,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. “Those trusted with the care of children can have confidence in the safety and effectiveness of these COVID-19 vaccines and can be assured that the agency was thorough in its evaluation of the data.

Vaccinations in the United States are expected to begin as early as next week, after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) makes its own recommendations on the vaccines.

Pfizer + Moderna Vaccine For Children Under 5 : A Quick Primer

The Pfizer vaccine for children 6 months through 4 years of age consists of three 3 µg doses – which is 1/10th of the adult dose.

The first two doses are administered 21 days apart, followed by the third dose at least 8 weeks after the second dose.

According to Pfizer, their clinical trial involving 4,526 children showed that the adverse reactions were fewer, and mostly mild to moderate, and short lived. They also said that the lower-dose vaccine produced comparable protection to 16-25 year old people who received two adult 30 µg doses.

The Moderna vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years of age consists of two 25 µg doses – which is 1/4th of the adult dose.

The Moderna vaccine is also authorised for a third dose, administered at least one month after the second dose, for people who have certain kinds of immunocompromise.

According to Moderna, their clinical trial involving 6,700 children showed that the majority of adverse events were mild or moderate, with no deaths, myocarditis, pericarditis or MIS-C reported.

They also stated that the protection offered by this lower paediatric dose was comparable to the much higher adult dose of 100 µg.

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Was Dr. Fauci Found Dead After Catching COVID-19?!

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Was Dr. Anthony Fauci found dead in his home, after catching COVID-19?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Dr. Fauci Was Found Dead After Catching COVID-19!

Vancouver Times just posted a story claiming that Dr. Anthony Fauci was found dead in his home, after catching COVID-19!

Dr. Fauci has been found dead in his home after he caught Covid-19. The head of the government’s Covid response had four doses of the vaccine, making his death suspicious. Doctors haven’t ruled out that the vaccines may have contributed to his death.

Fauci was isolating and recovering at home from a case of Covid-19, at first reporting “mild” symptoms. His symptoms suddenly took a turn for the worst, and Fauci was found dead by his wife, who promptly called for paramedics. However, the paramedics arrived too late to save Fauci.

Fauci’s response to the Covid pandemic was seen as “heavy handed.” Many people had called for his resignation, even murder. Steve Bannon suggested on his podcast that Fauci should be decapitated. He was subsequently banned from Twitter and YouTube.

The mainstream media and big tech want to hide the truth. Beat them at their own game by sharing this article!

Truth : Dr. Fauci Was NOT Found Dead After Catching COVID-19!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created to generate page views and money from gullible people.

Fact #1 : Vancouver Times Is A Fake News Website

Vancouver Times is a “content aggregator” (copy and paste) website that is known for creating fake news to generate more page views and money.

To look legitimate, they copy and paste news from legitimate news organisations. To drive traffic, they create fake news, sometimes masked as “satire”.

To give themselves a veneer of deniability, they label themselves as a “satire website” in their About Us section.

Vancouver Times is the most trusted source for satire on the West Coast. We write satirical stories about issues that affect conservatives.

Here are some of their fake news that we debunked :

Fact #2 : Dr. Anthony Fauci Only Has Mild COVID-19 Symptoms

Dr. Anthony Fauci tested positive for COVID-19 using a rapid antigen test on June 15, 2022.

After his diagnosis, he isolated himself, and started working from his home, following CDC guidelines for COVID-19. He is currently experiencing only mild symptoms.

Fact #3 : Dr. Anthony Fauci Just Testified At Senate Hearing

Dr. Anthony Fauci was healthy and well, when he sparred with Senator Rand Paul at the Senate HELP hearing on the US federal pandemic response on June 16, 2022.

Together with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, and FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, he answered questions from other Senators at the hearing which lasted over 2.5 hours.

Fact #4 : Dr. Anthony Fauci Received Four COVID-19 Vaccine Doses

Dr. Fauci was fully-vaccinated, with two booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. He is also taking the Pfizer antiviral drug, Paxlovid, as a precaution.

If the COVID-19 vaccine can kill people, as Vancouver Times suggested, Dr. Fauci would have been struck dead by any of the four doses he received.

Fact #5 : COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe + Effective

Even though Dr. Fauci is 81 years old, the odds of him dying from COVID-19 is extremely remote, because he is not only fully-vaccinated, he was boosted twice.

Because his body’s own immune system has been trained to tackle COVID-19, he will most likely experience mild symptoms that will not become worsen, much less kill him.

Despite what anti-vaccination activists may claim, COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be both safe and effective in preventing severe infections and deaths.

The RECoVaM study, for example, showed that the vast majority of people who died from COVID-19 were either unvaccinated, or partially vaccinated.

Fact #6 : There Is No Such Thing As A Publication Ban

If Dr. Anthony Fauci was found dead in his home, it would have been worldwide news, even if he didn’t recently test positive for COVID-19.

Vancouver Times likes to use the “media blackout” claim, to explain why you can’t find any reputable media outlet reporting on Dr. Fauci’s purported death from COVID-19 or the vaccine.

That’s utter and complete bullshit. No one – not a judge, not even the FBI – can control the worldwide media, or prevent anyone from writing about such a momentous arrest.

You can also be sure that even if the mainstream media refused to run the story, it would have been gleefully published by bloggers and anti-vaccination websites.

Yet, not a single press / gonzo outlet published their account of this incredible story? That’s because IT NEVER HAPPENED…

Fact #7 : Mainstream Media + Big Tech Would Have Loved The Hype

Vancouver Times is gaslighting you about how mainstream media and Big Tech want to hide the “truth” about Dr. Fauci’s death.

They would all loved it if Dr. Fauci was really found dead in his home. The news would have driven tons of traffic and engagement to their websites / platforms.

In fact, that was precisely why Vancouver Times created the fake story – to drive traffic, for the ad money.

Everything that Vancouver Times publishes should be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.

Please help us fight fake news websites like Vancouver Times – SHARE this fact check out, and SUPPORT our work!

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You Can Now Fly To United States Without COVID-19 Test!

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You can now fly to the United States without taking any COVID-19 test!

Here is what you need to know!

You Can Now Fly To United States Without COVID-19 Test!

17 months ago, the US CDC issued an order requiring all travellers to present a negative COVID-19 test before they can fly to the United States, or present documentation of recovery from COVID-19.

US CDC Director Rochelle Walensky just rescinded that order for all aircraft departing their point of origin on or after Sunday, June 12, 2022, at 12:01 AM EDT (Eastern Daylight Time).

I have concluded that continuation of the Order is not currently necessary. There being no operation need to delay implementation of this rescission for more than a short period of time, it shall take effect for all aircraft departing from their point of origin on or after Sunday, June 12, 2022, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

That said, the US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Xavier Becerra, said that this decision is based on “science and available data”, and warned that it may be reinstated if things change :

The CDC continues to recommend COVID-19 testing prior to air travel of any kind and will not hesitate to reinstate a pre-departure testing requirement, if needed later. Ensuring the safety and well-being of Americans is a top priority.

Current Requirements Before You Fly To United States

This order restores travel requirements to what it was before the pandemic – you will no longer be required to undergo a COVID-19 test, or show proof of COVID-19 recovery, before you fly to the United States.

However, the CDC still recommends that travellers get tested before and after travel, or after known exposure to someone with COVID-19.

They also recommend that travellers “remain up to date with vaccination against COVID-19“, and “wear masks in indoor public transportation settings“.

However, airlines may impose their own requirements, so please make sure you check with your airlines too!

American Citizens / Permanent Residents

The CDC recommendation to be up to date with your COVID-19 vaccination is no longer mandatory for American citizens.

Foreigners

For foreign travellers, you can fly to the United States without a negative COVID-19 test.

However, the CDC still requires foreigners to be fully-vaccinated before they can fly to the United States. A booster dose is not required.

Only selected foreigners may receive an exemption to this CDC requirement :

Persons on diplomatic or official foreign government travel
Children under 18 years of age
Persons with documented medical contraindications to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine
Participants in certain COVID-19 vaccine trials
Persons issued a humanitarian or emergency exception
Persons with valid visas [excluding B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) visas] who are citizens of a foreign country with limited COVID-19 vaccine availability (See list for updates that will be effective June 28, 2022)
Members of the U.S. Armed Forces or their spouses or children (under 18 years of age)
Sea crew members traveling with to a C-1 and D nonimmigrant visa
Persons whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, Secretary of Transportation, or Secretary of Homeland Security (or their designees)

But note that if you qualify for the exemption, you may be required to :

get tested for COVID-19 within 3-5 days of arrival in the United States, and
self-quarantine for 5 days, even if you test negative in the post-arrival test (unless you have documentation of recovering from COVID-19 in the past 90 days), and
self-isolate if you test positive in the post-arrival test, or develop COVID-19 symptoms
get vaccinated against COVID-19 if you intend to stay in the United States for longer than 60 days

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Is Monkeypox Outbreak From Lab Strain Made In Ukraine?!

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Is the current monkeypox outbreak from a lab strain made in Ukraine?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Monkeypox Outbreak Is From Lab Strain Made In Ukraine!

People are sharing tweets by a Dr. Benjamin Braddock who claimed that the 2022 monkeypox outbreak is from a “third lab strain” made by the US in Ukraine!

ECDC source tells me that the preliminary analysis of monkeypox indicates that it is “a third lab strain with unknown characteristics” and that there is chatter about this being somehow related to Moscow’s charges against U.S. biological activities in Ukraine.

A Russian-Chinese joint task force has been tasked with establishing: where it originated, whether it is detectable in research conducted by the US in Ukraine, Georgia; whether there is a link to biological research conducted by the US on smallpox in Ukraine.

Main ECDC focus right now is on buying up as much of BN’s vaccine as possible. “They’re buying before they know whether it is even effective against this strain of monkeypox. I wouldn’t be surprised if they skipped testing it’s efficacy altogether.”

Truth : Monkeypox Outbreak Is Not From Lab Strain Made In Ukraine!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS being created and shared by people on social media, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : There Is No Third Lab Strain

The monkeypox virus has two clades, based on where they were commonly found – Congo Basin (Central Africa), and West Africa.

There is no such thing as a third lab strain or species or clade of the monkeypox virus.

Fact #2 : Strain Is A Subset Of Species

While it is impossible to prove what does not exist (Bertrand Russell’s teapot analogy), the claim that there is “a third lab strain” shows that the person creating the fake news does not know the difference between strain, species and clade.

In virology, a clade is technically a group of species that arose from a common ancestor, of which each species may give rise to different strains (sub-species).

Credit : Galaxy Advanced Microbial Diagnostics

If there is a new strain, it would not have been called “a third lab strain”. It would have just been called a new strain.

The introduction of the word “third” implies that the fake news creator believes that clade = strain, which is completely false.

Obviously, the fake news creator does not know much about virology, and is very unlikely to be working at the ECDC.

Fact #3 : 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak From West African Clade

Neither the European Centre for Diseases Prevention and Control (ECDC) or other health authorities like the US CDC has announced the discovery of a new strain or clade of the monkeypox virus.

In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated on 21 May 2022, that all cases in the 2022 monkeypox outbreaks have been confirmed to involve the “West African clade“.

Fact #4 : No Evidence Current Virus Was Lab Made

Again, it is impossible to prove what does not exist – that the current monkeypox virus was not made in the lab. However, all the evidence points to a natural source of this virus.

Not only is the 2022 monkeypox virus is from an existing clade, genomic sequencing also indicated that this current virus was a close match of the monkeypox virus that were “exported” from Nigeria to the United Kingdom, Israel and Singapore in 2018 and 2019.

In other words – all of the evidence so far point us to a natural variant of an existing monkeypox virus that had already caused several outbreaks in the past.

Fact #5 : US Does Not Have Biological Labs In Ukraine

Braddock is repeating the oft-debunked false claim that the US has biological labs in Ukraine.

The truth is – they are Ukrainian biological laboratories, some of which receive financial and other support from the US, the European Union and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This is not unique to Ukraine – biological labs in many countries receive similar support from the US, EU and the WHO.

Fact #6 : US Sponsored Biological Threat Reduction In Ukraine

US sponsorship of biological labs in former Soviet Union countries like Ukraine go back decades, and is centred around the Biological Threat Reduction Program.

As the name implies, the program aims to train and equip the partner nation to detect and prevent the threat of infectious diseases, whether they are deliberate, accidental or natural.

The program aims to counter biological threats in a partner country, at the source, before the threat can reach the homeland of impact U.S. Armed Forces or allies.

The program also prevents proliferation by cooperating with partner countries to eliminate their biological weapons, associated materials, and production facilities.

Fact #7 : Biological Labs Are Essential To All Countries

Biological labs do not conduct biological warfare research, because that is banned in 183 countries under the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).

Instead, they are on the forefront of a country’s biosecurity defences, and are absolutely essential in developing tests and cures (including vaccines) for new and emerging diseases, like the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

In fact, both Russia and China have a number of biological labs, including the famous Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is located right at the epicentre of the first COVID-19 outbreak.

It is therefore misleading for anyone to demonise biological labs. After all, they are ESSENTIAL to every country’s national security, including their own.

Fact #8 : There Is No Russian-Chinese Task Force

Braddock claimed that a Russian-Chinese task force was formed to find out where the monkeypox outbreaks originated, or whether it is “detectable in research conducted by the US in Ukraine / Georgia”.

Again, it is impossible to prove what does not exist, but we know that this is a false claim because :

Braddock offered no evidence for the formation of such a Russian-Chinese task force.
The 2022 monkeypox outbreak did not affect either Russia or China, so they have no access to any samples.
The US did not conduct any biological research in Ukraine or Georgia.
Smallpox is closely related to monkeypox, but is a completely different virus.

Fact #9 : JYNNEOS Was Tested Against Monkeypox

The monkeypox and smallpox viruses are so closely related that the smallpox vaccine has been used for years to protect against monkeypox and other orthopoxviruses.

The earlier ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine has been largely replaced by the JYNNEOS vaccine (also called Imvamune / Imvanex), which was proven to be at least 85% effective in preventing monkeypox.

In fact, it was licensed in 2019 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the prevention of both smallpox and monkeypox.

And again, the monkeypox virus causing the 2022 outbreak is a close match of the Western Africa clade monkeypox virus that caused the 2018 and 2019 outbreaks.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please support our work!

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Pfizer Booster Dose For 5-11 Yo Kids : What You Must Know!

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Here is what you need to know about the Pfizer COVID-19 booster dose for 5-11 year old kids!

Pfizer Booster Dose For 5-11 Yo Kids : What You Need To Know!

On 17 May 2022, the US FDA officially approved the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for 5-11 year-old kids.

This Pfizer COVID-19 booster dose for kids is different from the COVID-19 booster dose for older children and adults in many ways, so let me summarise the key differences…

Lower Paediatric Dose

The dose of the Pfizer booster dose for 5-11 year old kids is only 10 micrograms (mcg). This is 1/3 of the dose used for adults and adolescents.

5-Month Dose Interval

The Pfizer paediatric COVID-19 booster dose for 5-11 year old kids is meant to be administered at least 5 months after the primary series is administered.

It does not mean your child must receive the booster dose exactly five months after completing the primary series. It just means the earliest your child should receive the booster dose is five months after receiving the primary series vaccine doses.

4th Dose For Some

For most children – the primary series consists of two doses, so the booster dose will be their third dose.

However, certain children are given three doses as their primary series vaccination :

who have undergone solid organ transplantation, or
who have been diagnosed with conditions that have an equivalent level of immunocompromise.

For these children, the booster dose will be their fourth dose of the vaccine.

10-Dose Vial

The booster dose for 5-11 years old kids uses the same Pfizer paediatric vaccine used in their primary series vaccination.

It is supplied in a 10-dose vial, with an orange cap and a label with an orange border, to differentiate from the higher-dose vaccine used for adults and adolescents.

Must Be Diluted Before Use

The content of the vial must be diluted with 1.3 ml of sterile 0.9% sodium chloride, to derive 10 doses of 0.2 ml in volume.

Healthcare workers must be aware of this dilution requirement, as the newer Pfizer vaccine with a gray cap (for individuals 12 years and older) no longer requires dilution.

Smaller Intramuscular Injection

The Pfizer booster dose for 5-11 year old kids is given as a 0.2 ml intramuscular injection. This is a smaller volume than the adult booster dose – 0.3 ml.

So parents should be aware that the paediatric booster dose has a lower volume, when observing their children’s vaccinations.

More Stable Formulation

The Pfizer’s paediatric vaccine, which is used for the booster dose, has an improved formulation that is more stable. For those who want to know what changed, Pfizer :

replaced the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) with a Tris buffer
removed sodium chloride and potassium chloride from the buffer formulation

This improved formulation allows the vaccine to be kept in a normal refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C (35°F to 46°F) for up to 10 weeks, instead of just 4 weeks.

In addition, it will last longer – 12 hours, instead of just 2 hours – at room temperature (up to 25°C / 77°F), after being thawed.

9 Month Expiry Date

The Pfizer paediatric COVID-19 vaccine has a 9-month expiry date, from the printed manufacturing date.

Printed Manufacturing Date	9-Month Expiry Date
09/2021	31 May 2022
10/2021	30 June 2022
11/2021	31 July 2022
12/2021	31 August 2022
01/2022	30 September 2022
02/2022	31 October 2022
03/2022	30 November 2022
04/2022	31 December 2022
05/2022	31 January 2023

Mild Side Effects

The US FDA authorised the booster dose based on safety data from approximately 400 children who received the booster dose 5-9 months after completing their two-dose primary series.

They noted that the commonly reported side effects were pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, as well as fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain and chills and fever.

This should be no different from the original safety data, which showed that the lower dose produced fewer side effects, with no severe side effects noted. They were mostly :

pain at injection site : 71-74%
headache : 54-61%
fatigue : 60-66%
muscle pain : 27-41%
chills : 25-40%
joint pain : 13-22%
fever : 7-17%

Side note : It is interesting to note that even the placebo causes common symptoms like fatigue, headache and muscle pain. This shows just how important it is to conduct a randomised controlled trial.

Safer Than Adult Dose

The much lower dose appears to ameliorate, if not eliminate, the risk of myocarditis / pericarditis that was highest in adolescents and young adults.

There were no cases of pericarditis or myocarditis in the initial Pfizer study that involved over 2,260 children, through approximately 3 months of follow-up after Dose 2.

After 8.7 million doses were administered in the US (up to 19 December 2021), the US CDC noted that :

VAERS received 4,249 adverse event reports (0.049% of doses)
4,149 (97.6%) of those adverse events were not serious
Of the remaining 100 serious adverse events, 29 were fever, 21 were vomiting, and 15 were increased troponin.
Only 11 verified cases of myocarditis were identified – 7 recovered completely, and 4 were recovering at the time of the report.

Based on those results, the risk of myocarditis was 1 in 791,000 doses – much lower than the risk of myocarditis in young adults (1 in 50,000).

For a better perspective of the risk of developing myocarditis, I created this comparison table for you :

Myocarditis Risk	Per Million People	Difference
COVID-19 Patient	450	+2208%
Pfizer Vaccine (Adult Dose)	20	+2.6%
Pfizer Vaccine (Paediatric Dose)	2.5	-87%
Normal Population	19.5	Baseline

As you can see, the risk of developing myocarditis is MUCH higher if your child gets infected with COVID-19, compared with getting the Pfizer vaccine.

Pfizer Booster Dose : Should Your 5-11 Yo Kids Get It?

While the US FDA did not reveal how much of a boost in antibody the Pfizer booster dose will give your 5-11 year old children, there is a definite boost in antibody level.

That said, antibody levels are not an accurate assessment of an individual’s immunity against COVID-19.

Studies have shown that additional vaccine doses induces the memory B cell and T cell responses to an actual COVID-19 infection.

While that may not prevent infection, especially by the highly-infectious Omicron variants, the improved B cell and T cell responses will greatly reduce the severity of any COVID-19 infection.

Therefore, I would definitely recommend giving your kids the Pfizer booster dose, if it is made available to them.

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Does US Have Biological Warfare Labs In South Korea?!

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Is the US conducting biological warfare experiments at their secret labs in South Korea?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : US Has Biological Warfare Labs In South Korea!

Official Chinese state media outlets like Xinhua, People’s Daily, China Daily, and their 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) are claiming that the US is conducting biological warfare experiments at their secret labs in South Korea.

Note : It’s a long post, so please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts…

China Daily Fri, Apr 15, 2022

US biolabs create fear in South Korea
XINHUA

SEOUL — South Koreans are gripped with fear over the prospect that US biological weapons laboratories operated by the US Forces Korea, or USFK, will transform the country into Washington’s “overseas hub” for biological warfare experiments.

The United States has flouted international conventions by steadily advancing its germ warfare program in the country. It sees South Korea as a country “friendly” enough to let the US military test lethal toxins without institutional hurdles.

Enraged at the opaqueness of the US biological labs, civic groups and residents have taken to the streets to demand that the US military takes away its hazardous weapons.

The US military has secretly run its biological weapons program in South Korea since at least 2009. It became public in 2015 when live anthrax samples were sent from a US military lab through postal service FedEx to the Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, about 70 kilometers south of the capital Seoul.

The USFK initially said it was the first time it experimented with deadly biological agents. But a joint panel investigation showed that the USFK brought in and tested dead anthrax samples 15 times at the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul between 2009 and 2014.

Article 9 of the South Korea-US Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA, stipulates that a customs examination “shall not be made” in case of “military cargo consigned to the US armed forces”, according to a document posted by the South Korean Foreign Ministry.

Lee Jang-hie, an emeritus professor at the law school of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said the delivery of anthrax samples violated the Biological Weapons Convention, signed by over 180 nations, including South Korea and the US, to ban the development, production, stockpiling, acquisition or retention of biological agents or toxins.

Any violation of the 1975 convention requires an official investigation by the United Nations Security Council at the request of the country concerned.

“Lax regulations and the (South) Korean government’s reluctance to protest against it created an easy, favorable environment (for the US military) to carry out experiments with germs here,” Lee noted.

The US biological weapons program in South Korea has evolved over the past decade under the projects of the Joint USFK Portal and Integrated Threat Recognition, or Jupitr, and the Capabilities to Enable NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) Threat Awareness, Understanding and Response, or Centaur.

“Figuratively speaking, Jupitr installed in the central headquarters serves as the brain. The Centaur, which operates in each regional military unit, constitutes the hands and feet of Jupitr to detect and send biochemical samples to it,” said Woo Hee-jong, a professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Seoul National University.
Woo said the UN Security Council should launch an investigation into the biolabs.

Jeon Wi-bong, director of the Association to Push for Shutdown of US Biochemical Experiments in Busan Port Pier 8, told Xinhua News Agency that, despite the attention surrounding the 2015 live anthrax samples delivery, the USFK expanded biological labs into Busan Port’s Pier 8 in 2016.

A group of civic activists and citizens toured the country for a week through Sunday to spread awareness on the US biological weapons labs.

“A person in charge of US military biological labs said Korea is friendly to operate such labs. I got infuriated when I heard that because it belittles my country severely,” said Choi Won-seok, who joined the tour near Busan Port’s Pier 8.

Show less

Truth : US Does NOT Have Biological Warfare Labs In South Korea!

Now, I must first point out that it is impossible to prove a negative – that something that doesn’t exists, doesn’t actually exist.

But based on a complete lack of evidence, this is yet another example of Chinese propaganda warfare, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This Story Has Been Repeated Since 2020

A quick check shows that the Chinese state media have been promoting the story of the US biological warfare labs in South Korea since April 2020, if not earlier.

So this story isn’t new. It was repeated in July 2020, and then in August 2021, before the current slew of coverage in March and April 2022.

Fact #2 : No Evidence Of US Biological Warfare Lab In South Korea

Despite waxing lyrical about the US military conducting biological warfare experiments in their South Korea labs, the Chinese state media offered ZERO evidence.

There is no evidence of biological warfare experiments being conducted in South Korea, and there is no evidence of US setting up laboratories for the research and development of such weapons.

Fact #3 : Anthrax Was Sent To 9 US States, Australia + Canada Too

Chinese state media claimed that US biological warfare experimentation was “exposed” when live anthrax samples were sent to the Osan Air Base in South Korea.

The truth is – the same anthrax samples were sent to 51 laboratories in nine US states, as well as Australia, Canada and South Korea.

So the claim that US sent anthrax to South Korea because they let the US military “test lethal toxins without institutional hurdles” is nonsense.

This incident was covered widely by the global press, so it is peculiar that Chinese state media would (intentionally?) misinform their readers.

Fact #4 : Anthrax Samples Were Used For Tests

These anthrax samples were mailed to those laboratories as part of ongoing efforts to develop field tests for anthrax.

These tests are usually conducted using dead samples of anthrax, because live anthrax would obviously be a biosecurity risk.

Fact #5 : Anthrax Samples Were Supposed To Be Dead

What the Chinese state media won’t tell you is that those anthrax samples were supposed to be dead.

In March 2014, the Dugway Proving Grounds – a US Department of Defense laboratory which conducts biosecurity research – irradiated a batch of anthrax samples with gamma rays to kill them.

In April 2015, they mailed the “dead” anthrax samples to 51 labs in the US, Canada, Australia and South Korea, by commercial postal services because the samples were supposed to be completely “dead”.

This incident was covered widely by the global press, so it is peculiar that Chinese state media would (intentionally?) misinform their readers.

Fact #6 : US Military Was Unaware Anthrax Samples Were Active

What the Chinese state media will also “forget” to tell you is that the US military was unaware that the anthrax samples were still active.

It was a commercial laboratory in Maryland that alerted the Pentagon on 22 May 2015, after they discovered that their sample had some active spores.

As CDC spokesperson Jason McDonald explained, the samples were quickly transferred to the CDC :

The samples are being carefully transferred to the CDC in Atlanta. They are starting to arrive, but cautioned that the samples need five more days to grow before officials can determine if they contain live anthrax.

While this was a deeply concerning accident that could have been disastrous, it was most definitely not an attempt to conduct biological warfare experiments in South Korea.

This incident was covered widely by the global press, so it is peculiar