A right-wing political commentator claims that governments encouraging vaccination after “the mRNA vaccine was shown not to stop transmission” was “the most evil thing ever done.”
The commentator’s large audience and the virality of his quote increase the risk. Debunking messaging may explain that vaccine manufacturers and health authorities did not claim that COVID-19 vaccines prevent transmission before their authorization because there wasn’t evidence to support that claim. However, in the months after the vaccines’ rollout, global studies confirmed that vaccines reduced transmission against early COVID-19 variants through Delta. The vaccines become less effective against transmission over time as SARS-CoV-2 continues to mutate, producing more infectious variants. COVID-19 vaccines continue to protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
