Read on Twitter
COVID-19 VACCINES: DISPELLING RUMORS, CONSPIRACIES, AND HESITANCY
A viral thread
(inspired by repeated discussions w/ family/friends & apologies for length)
A viral thread
(inspired by repeated discussions w/ family/friends & apologies for length)
1. “Vaccines usually take many years to develop. Can’t trust something this quick!”
Never before has virtually all of the scientific community has come together to conquer a single disease at one time (and with $billions of funding with multinational organizations) (1/x)
Never before has virtually all of the scientific community has come together to conquer a single disease at one time (and with $billions of funding with multinational organizations) (1/x)
We are extremely fortunate that SARS-CoV-2 displayed itself in a way which we can exploit. In fact, only WEEKS after sequencing and discovery of the “spike protein” we had vaccine candidates. The time since has been in animal models then human clinical trials. (2/x)
The fastest vaccine ever developed—a mumps vaccine—still took four years. With the entire nation and globe participating and by conducting event-driven trials, we are able to improve the process efficiencies to what we are seeing now. (3/x)
We enrolled hundreds of thousands of people to get events (COVID-19), and given the pandemic is so widespread, we are able to capture events easier than previously without any corner-cutting. (4/x)
I am confident that we would conquer many other infectious diseases if this same methodology and urgency was applied to them. (next topic...) (5/x)
2. “I have seen Will Smith’s I am Legend, and I do not want to turn into a zombie with an untested vaccine.” (6/x)
Phase 3 trials have been MASSIVE so far, close to 100,000 enrollees (& 200,000 doses!) NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS were seen (and this is from >6 months of data from the first subjects enrolled in Pfizer studies). (7/x)
Perspective: the last vaccines to be approved used 15,900 participants (Ebola) and 32,000 (Shingrix) in their phase 3 trials. Very re-assuring. No zombies yet. (8/x)
When rolled out to general public, likely way more more data points! Additionally, there are at least 2 committees independent of the trial company to review safety to provide re-assurance prior to approval- DSMB and VRBPAC. (9/x)
3.“The vaccines are not safe.”
Fake news. The data so far concludes they are safe. Vaccine efficacy results are real.
(10/x)
Fake news. The data so far concludes they are safe. Vaccine efficacy results are real.
(10/x)
The trials are designed to look at disease outcomes and indirectly impact of the vaccine on transmission. So far, they look to prevent severe disease.
(11/x)
(11/x)
Mechanism: The mRNA vaccines (or RNA vaccines) are not integrated into the genome to rearrange DNA. They aren't getting into your genes! The vaccines don’t even have the coronavirus within them. (12/x)
The messenger RNA are brief, temporary messages that tell your protein-making machinery cells to make one viral protein temporarily. The RNA message is for 1 single protein (whereas the entire COVID virus has many). Does not get into the nucleus where your chromosomes are (13/x)
Once manufactured, the viral proteins are displayed on the cells’ surface, where circulating immune cells will detect and raise an immune response against them. (14/x)
Most adverse events with vaccines happen within the first few months after vaccination. We already have up to 6 months of data, WITHOUT serious incident. Yes, also looking at the ADE crowd; which has not yet been seen in these trials… (15/x)
Now I want to be clear here: most of these vaccines are REACTOGENIC. Meaning, there are chances that your immune system will react to vaccine causing some symptoms (basically re-assuring that it is working). (16/x)
Important for mass vaccination campaigns. The grade 3 adverse side effects (meaning not life threatening but medically significant) ranged from 2% (Pfizer) to 9.8% (Moderna). Mostly fatigue, but these are likely enough to interrupt productivity the following 1-2 days. (17/x)
Think about vaccinating a hospital; 100 nurses on the same day. We need to be prepared to have at least 2 of the 100 (or 10 of 100) call out the following day due to reactogenicity of the vaccine. Suspect others will be less reactogenic. (18/x)
4.“What about long-term effects?”
Unfortunately, because it’s a pandemic, we don’t have the luxury of waiting years. Instead, we have >6 months of data without serious adverse events and knowing the mechanisms of action that likely won’t produce long term effects. (19/x)
Unfortunately, because it’s a pandemic, we don’t have the luxury of waiting years. Instead, we have >6 months of data without serious adverse events and knowing the mechanisms of action that likely won’t produce long term effects. (19/x)
We have experience for years with other vaccines to support likely no long-term effects (even mRNA we have some data despite newer technology). (20/x)
6.“Bill Gates is trying to harm me, and implant microchips”
I raise your conspiracy with another!
Have you considered the possibility that anti-vaccine propaganda could be an attempt by Russia, China, or North Korea to weaken the health of the US population? ** (22/x)
I raise your conspiracy with another!
Have you considered the possibility that anti-vaccine propaganda could be an attempt by Russia, China, or North Korea to weaken the health of the US population? ** (22/x)
We have evidence of hacking of labs....
**I am just showing how easy it is to propagate conspiracy theories. I do not believe this. **
And again, I am not injecting you with a labeling code to track you. (23/x)
**I am just showing how easy it is to propagate conspiracy theories. I do not believe this. **
And again, I am not injecting you with a labeling code to track you. (23/x)
7.“I am not going to get the vaccine.”
I respect your decision, it is your body and your choice. Understand that it may be difficult to return to normalcy without one (such as flights & large events which may require one). I can only guide you to an informed decision. (24/x)
I respect your decision, it is your body and your choice. Understand that it may be difficult to return to normalcy without one (such as flights & large events which may require one). I can only guide you to an informed decision. (24/x)
The light of the end of the tunnel can be seen, but will require mask wearing, physical distancing, and vaccines to get there. Just like with smallpox, which prior to vaccinations killed >500 million, we as providers and scientists just want to improve patient outcomes. (25/x)
