Last updated on November 27th, 2022 at 04:18 pm
There are so many myths about the COVID-19 vaccine, I wanted to post some facts about the new vaccines which we can use for debunking purposes. I used to think that the HPV vaccine brought the most hatred and misinformation from the anti-vaccine world, but it’s clear that the new COVID-19 vaccines are their new targets.
This article will only focus on the five vaccines that I believe will eventually receive FDA or European Medicines Agency (EMA) approval – Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ Janssen), and Novavax vaccines. I remain unconvinced that any vaccine made in China or the Russian Sputnik V vaccine will ever get approved by countries with robust drug regulatory agencies. However, if they are, I will certainly add them to a future iteration of this list.
I’m going to make this in a basic chart form for ease of use in finding COVID-19 vaccine facts and myths. I will link to supporting evidence wherever relevant.
COVID-19 vaccine facts
| Facts | Pfizer | Moderna | JNJ – Janssen | Astra-Zeneca | Novavax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Co-developer | BioNTech | National Institutes of Health | None | Oxford University | None |
| Vaccine name | Comirnaty | Spikevax | Jcovden | ChAdOx1 | Nuvaxovid or Covovax |
| FDA approval | Yes | Yes | EUA | No | No |
| Size of clinical trial | 43,548 people aged 16 and up | 30,420 people aged 18 and up | 43,783 people aged 18 and up | +11,000 | +44,000 |
| Effectiveness | 95% at least 7 days after dose 2 | 94.1% at least 14 days after dose 2 | 72% in the U.S. and 66% globally against moderate-to-severe disease; 85% effective against severe disease, 28 days after a single dose | TBD | 83.4% two weeks after the first dose and 89.7% one week after the second dose in a UK study. 90.4% in US/Mexico study |
| Technology | mRNA | mRNA | Recombined adenovirus vector, human Ad26.COV2.S., which expresses the S-subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to induce an immune response. | Recombined adenovirus vector, chimpanzee ChAdOx1, which expresses the S-subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to induce an immune response. | Recombinant spike protein subunit antigen harvested and assembled onto a synthetic lipid nanoparticle. |
| Availability | Current | Current | Current | Unknown | February 2022 |
| Variants | 94% effective against Delta variant after three doses. 82% effective against Omicron variant after three doses. | 94% effective against Delta variant after three doses. 82% effective against Omicron variant after three doses. | 57% efficacy in South Africa; 66% efficacy in South America (Brazil was among the countries studied, but there were no sequenced cases of the P.1 variant) | TBD | No data for variants. |
| Doses | Two doses, 21 days apart (30 μg/dose) | Two doses, 28 days apart (100 μg/dose) | One dose (two-dose regimen under evaluation) | 2 | Two doses, 21 days apart |
| Storage | Ultra-cold freezer required, -80ºC to -60ºC (-112ºF to -76ºF) for up to 6 months; the FDA recently allowed a change that frozen, undiluted vials can be stored at standard pharmacy freezer temperatures between -25ºC to -15ºC (-13ºF to 5ºF) for up to 2 weeks. | Frozen between -25ºC to -15ºC (-13ºF to 5ºF); can be stored refrigerated from 2ºC to 8ºC (36ºF to 46ºF) for up to 30 days before first use. | Stable for 2 years at -20ºC (-4ºF) but can be stored for at least 3 months at typical refrigeration temperatures of 2ºC to 8ºC (36ºF to 46ºF) | 2º to 8ºC (36º to 46º F) | 2º to 8ºC (36º to 46º F) |
| Ingredients | mRNA, lipid nanoparticles, buffers – details here | mRNA, lipid nanoparticles, buffers – details here | Adenovirus vector, buffers – details here | TBD | TBD |
| Allergic reactions | Very rare, may be caused by polyethylene glycol in the lipid nanoparticles | Very rare, may be caused by polyethylene glycol in the lipid nanoparticles | None observed in clinical trials | TBD | None observed in clinical trials |
| Number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in the vaccinated group | None | None | None | None | None |
| Number of people who died from COVID-19 in the vaccinated group | None | None | None | None | None |
| Number of people who died from vaccine | None | None | None | None | None |
| Safe for pregnancy | Definitely | Definitely | Definitely | TBD | TBD |
| Improves pregnancy outcomes | Yes. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contra-indications | Previous allergic reaction to mRNA vaccines, allergies to PEG, allergies to polysorbate | Previous allergic reaction to mRNA vaccines, allergies to PEG, allergies to polysorbate | None | TBD, but probably none | TBD, but probably none |
Because of the size of this chart, you may have to swipe left in some browsers to see all of the columns.
COVID-19 myths
| Myths | Pfizer | Moderna | JNJ – Janssen | Astra-Zeneca | Novavax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will it cause changes in DNA? | No | No | No | No | The vaccine does not use mRNA technology so this shouldn’t be a concern. |
| Will it harm the developing fetus? | No | No | No | Probably no. | Probably no. |
| Is it safe for pregnant and breast-feeding moms? | Probably and probably. | Probably and probably. | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Will it cause COVID-19? | No | No | No, there is no live SARS-CoV-2 virus | No, there is no live virus | No. |
| Will it shed COVID-19? | No and no. There is no live virus in the vaccine. Dr. David Gorski also says No. | No and no. There is no live virus in the vaccine. Dr. David Gorski also says No. | No and no. There is no live virus in the vaccine. | No and no. There is no live virus in the vaccine. | There is no live virus in the vaccine. |
| Will it cause Bell’s palsy? | No | No | No | TBD after clinical trial documents are submitted | TBD after clinical trial documents are submitted |
| No unprotected sex after the vaccine? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Will it cause infertility? | No and no. | No and no. | No and no. | No and no. | No. |
| Will it cause miscarriage? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Did Tiffany Dover die from the vaccine? | No | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Did Miami doctor, Michael, Gregory, die from the vaccine? | Probably no, and no | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Did the vaccine kill people in Norway? | Probably no, and probably no | Probably no, and probably no | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Do the lipid nanoparticles in the vaccine harm the brain? | No | No | Not relevant | Not relevant | No |
| Were the vaccines rushed to market? | No and no. | No and no. | No and no. | No and no. | No and no. |
| Should the FDA have stopped the vaccine clinical trials? | No. | No. | No. | Stay tuned. | Stay tuned. |
| Should the vaccine not be given to those with current COVID-19 infection? | According to Orac, NO. | According to Orac, NO. | According to Orac, NO. | According to Orac, NO. | According to Orac, NO. |
| Are the mRNA vaccines gene therapy? | According to the feathered dinosaur, NO. According to David Gorski, NO. | According to the feathered dinosaur, NO. According to David Gorski, NO. | Not relevant. However, adenovirus vector vaccines do not affect the DNA. | Not relevant, for now. | Not relevant, for now. |
| Are the mRNA vaccines medical devices? | According to the feathered dinosaur, NO. According to David Gorski, NO. | According to the feathered dinosaur, NO. According to David Gorski, NO. | According to the feathered dinosaur, NO. According to David Gorski, NO. | Not relevant, for now. | Not relevant, for now. |
| Do mRNA vaccines target tumor receptor genes? | The venerable Orac says NO. | The venerable Orac says NO. | Not relevant for now. | Not relevant for now. | Not relevant. |
| Do these vaccines cause clots? | No evidence. | No evidence. | Possible link to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, but it is extremely rare, around 1 in 1 million doses of vaccine. | Possible link to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis | No. |
| Do these vaccines hack the software of life? | NO. And Dr. David Gorski says NO. | NO. And Dr. David Gorski says NO. | So far, no one has stated this but just wait. | Waiting. | No |
| Can mRNA vaccines cause prion disease and Alzheimer’s disease? | David Gorski says NO. | NO. | Not relevant. | Not relevant. | Not relevant. |
| Do the mRNA vaccines cause myocarditis? | Possible | Possible | Not relevant. | Not relevant. | Not relevant. |
| Do the lipid nanoparticles accumulate in the ovaries causing infertility? | NO. | NO. | No lipid nano-particles. | No lipid nano-particles. | NO. |
| Do these vaccines affect sperm? | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| Are these vaccines experimental? | Approved by the FDA. | Approved by the FDA. | NO | NO | NO |
| Do these vaccines violate the Nuremberg Code? | NO and NO. | NO and NO. | NO and NO. | NO and NO. | NO and NO. |
| Do these vaccines contain graphene oxide? | NO. | NO. | NO. | NO. | NO. |
| Are there aborted fetal cells in these vaccines? | NO | NO | YES | YES | Unknown |
Summary
As you can tell, most of the COVID-19 vaccine facts are supported by science-based evidence. And the myths are unsupported by the evidence.
I plan to update this easy-to-read list of COVID-19 vaccine facts and myths as I run across more nonsense. I intend to always add links that support or refute the claim. I hope that this article is helpful to those of you who are having discussions with people who are on the fence about these vaccines.
If you have any new myths, claims, or facts about the COVID-19 vaccines, please post them in the comments below.
Chief Executive Officer at SkepticalRaptor
Lifetime lover of science, especially biomedical research. Spent years in academics, business development, research, and traveling the world shilling for Big Pharma. I love sports, mostly college basketball and football, hockey, and baseball. I enjoy great food and intelligent conversation. And a delicious morning coffee!
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