During the public comment portion of a recent FDA’s advisory committee meeting, a man who has previously published anti-vaccine content presented what he claimed to be evidence that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has killed more people than it has saved. The presentation included screenshots of social media posts, news article headlines, an anti-vaccine advocacy website, and a misinterpreted passage from a study which concluded that the Pfizer vaccine “had a favorable safety profile and was highly efficacious in preventing COVID-19.” Other people online have circulated images from the presentation, calling the man an “FDA expert” and claiming that the FDA decided against recommending boosters for people under 65 based on the “data” he presented. During the FDA meeting, committee members agreed that younger people are still well protected by the vaccines, which are safe and effective. But both the FDA and CDC have authorized booster shots for Pfizer recipients under 65 with underlying medical conditions and those who work puts them at increased risk.
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There is widespread confusion over who will need a booster shot, and bad actors continue to use this confusion to promote false claims like those raised above. Explaining waning efficacy and how boosters can improve immunity is recommended, while also emphasizing that the vaccines still protect against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Fact Checking Source(s): PolitiFact: No evidence that the Pfizer vaccine causes deaths
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