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 – the 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. 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 |
| Size of clinical trial | +37,000 | +30,000 | +44,000 | +11,000 | +26,000 |
| Technology | mRNA | mRNA | Recombined adenovirus vector, human Ad26.COV2.S., that expresses the S-subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to induce an immune response. | Recombined adenovirus vector, ChAdOx1, that expresses the S-subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to induce an immune response. | Stabilized form of the coronavirus spike protein which employs Novavax’s recombinant protein nanoparticle technology. |
| Availability | Now | Now | February, 2021? | February, 2021? | Summer, 2021? |
| Doses | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Storage | -80° to -60°C (-112° to -76°F) | -25º to -15ºC (-13º to 5ºF) | 2º to 8ºC (36º to 46º F) | 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 | TBD | 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 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in vaccinated group | None | None | None | None | None |
| Number of people died from COVID-19 in vaccinated group | None | None | None | None | None |
| Number of people who died from vaccine | None | None | None | None | None |
| Safe for pregnancy | Probably | Probably | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 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 | TBD, but probably none | TBD, but probably none | TBD, but probably none |
| 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 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
COVID-19 myths
| Myths | Pfizer | Moderna | JNJ – Janssen | Astra-Zeneca | Novavax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will it cause changes in DNA? | No | No | Not relevant for now. | Not relevant for now. | Not relevant for now. |
| Will it harm developing fetus? | No | No | Not relevant for now. | Not relevant for now. | Not relevant for now. |
| Is it safe for pregnant and breastfeeding moms? | Probably and probably. | Probably and probably. | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Will it cause COVID-19? | No | No | No, there is no live virus | No, there is no live virus | No, there is no live virus |
| Will it shed COVID-19? | 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. | There is no live virus in the vaccine. | There is no live virus in the vaccine. |
| Will it cause Bell’s palsy? | No | No | TBD after clinical trial documents are submitted | TBD after clinical trial documents are submitted | TBD after clinical trial documents are submitted |
| No unprotected sex after vaccine? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Will it cause infertility? | 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 | Not relevant |
| 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 | No | No |
| 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 really 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, for now. | Not relevant, for now. | Not relevant, for now. |
| Are the mRNA vaccines really medical devices? | 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. | Not relevant, for now. |
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.
My plan is to update this easy-to-read list of facts and myths about the COVID-19 vaccines 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.
Please help me out by sharing this article. Also, please comment below, whether it's positive or negative. Of course, if you find spelling errors, tell me!
There are two ways you can help support this blog. First, you can use Patreon by clicking on the link below. It allows you to set up a monthly donation, which will go a long way to supporting the Skeptical Raptor
Finally, you can also purchase anything on Amazon, and a small portion of each purchase goes to this website. Just click below, and shop for everything.
