Although clips and quotes from the hearing have not circulated much outside anti-vaccine circles, vaccine opponents will likely use the hearing to advance their narratives for months to come. Debunking messaging may emphasize that the claims made in the hearing are largely based on misinterpretations of unverified safety data and low-quality studies. Two-thirds of the world’s population—over 5 billion people—received the primary COVID-19 vaccine series, with no evidence of widespread health issues. Over three years of research and rigorous safety monitoring worldwide have proven repeatedly that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for all eligible populations.

Fact-Checking Source(s): ACOG, CIDRAP, Science Feedback

Talking Points and Answers to Tough Questions

Talking Points

• Since January 2020, there have been more than 1 million COVID-19 deaths and 6.5 million COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States, per the CDC COVID-19 Data Tracker.
• COVID-19 is ranked as one of the top 10 causes of pediatric death in the U.S. Tens of thousands of children and teens have been hospitalized because of this virus. 

Are COVID-19 vaccines safe?
Yes, COVID-19 vaccines are safe. The COVID-19 vaccines have been tested and monitored for safety more than any previous vaccine in U.S. history. All COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested and reviewed for human safety through a three-phase clinical trial process. 

More than 150,000 people participated in U.S. vaccine clinical trials, and almost 700 million vaccine doses have been safely administered in the U.S., with rare instances of adverse reactions. To ensure the continued safety of COVID-19 vaccines, data from clinical trials will continue to be collected for two years after each vaccine is first administered to ensure that they are safe over the long term. As with all vaccines, there will be ongoing monitoring for adverse events among people who are vaccinated in the future.

What is the risk of having a severe adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine?
The risk of having a serious adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine is very low—far lower than the risk of contracting COVID-19. 
Common reactions to COVID-19 vaccination include mild side effects, such as limb soreness, fatigue, low-grade fever, headaches, and chills, which typically resolve within a few days. 

Severe adverse reactions after vaccination are extremely rare, but can cause long-term health issues. Rare adverse events – such as anaphylaxis and other allergic reactions, blood-clotting syndromes, heart inflammation, autoimmune diseases impacting the nervous system, and death – have been identified and investigated for legitimacy through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). 

How were the COVID-19 vaccines developed so quickly?
It’s true that these specific vaccines were developed more quickly than previous vaccines, but their development built upon many decades of work on coronavirus vaccines and mRNA technology.

The process included the same rigorous safety reviews that are required for all new vaccines. Scientists were able to develop the vaccines quickly, safely, and effectively because the urgency of the pandemic created greater access to research funding, reduced bureaucratic obstacles, and encouraged unparalleled levels of government and industry cooperation.

As new variants appear, vaccine researchers will continue to develop updated COVID-19 vaccines, also called “boosters,” to provide the highest level of protection against the virus.

Does the COVID-19 vaccine increase risk of miscarriage?
No, getting a COVID-19 vaccine does not increase the risk of miscarriage. To date, no monitoring system or studies have identified any association between miscarriage and COVID-19 vaccination. 

Studies show that miscarriages are a common outcome of a typical pregnancy, impacting 11% to 22% of all reported pregnancies. However, there is no evidence to show that pregnancy risks or complications, such as miscarriage, preterm delivery, stillbirth, or birth defects, are increased because of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Data do show that experiencing a COVID-19 infection during pregnancy increases the risk of delivering a preterm or stillborn infant. For this reason, vaccination is critical to protect the pregnant person and the infant from negative health outcomes. COVID-19 vaccination provides antibodies to the pregnant person and the baby, protecting them both from the increased risk of serious illness.

Why is it important to continue to collect data about COVID-19 cases? Are case counts accurate?
Accurately tracking the spread of COVID-19 helps federal, state, and local decision-makers allocate critical emergency response funding and develop public health guidance. 

COVID-19 case counts and deaths are key public health indicators, but experts agree that the number of COVID cases are likely undercounted and underreported. Case counts vary because of reporting barriers like the convenience of at-home rapid antigen testing and varied access to COVID-19 testing and diagnosis. COVID-19 death reporting is less burdened by the previous barriers but can be impacted by the timing lags in data entry across many systems of monitoring.

The CDC COVID Data Tracker is a collaborative hub of COVID-19 monitoring information informed by state and county reports from hospitals, healthcare providers, and laboratories. The CDC makes this data publicly available and reports national COVID-19 data to the World Health Organization, as required under international health regulations. The current key indicators – COVID-19 test positivity, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths – help reveal COVID-19 trends across the nation. 

The National Center for Health Statistics also updates national statistics guidelines to ensure increased specificity and accuracy of COVID-19 death reporting. The cause-of-death determination guidelines distinguish COVID-19 and post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) as either an immediate or underlying cause of death on death certificates and medical reports. These updates help to clarify if people are dying from COVID-19 illness as an immediate cause of death, or with a COVID-19-related illness or condition as an underlying cause of death.  

Resistance to childhood vaccines is rising nationwide, with a growing number of parents opposing school vaccine requirements and seeking exemptions for their children. Emphasizing that all vaccines go through rigorous safety testing, including clinical trials, before they are approved for the public is recommended, as is continuing to emphasize that children are far more likely to be hurt by a vaccine-preventable disease than by a vaccine.

Fact Checking Source(s): AAP, Boost Oregon

Variations of this myth have circulated among conspiracists for years, and responding to every false claim may detract from priority talking points. Continuing to emphasize the necessity of vaccines to protect against deadly and debilitating diseases is recommended.

Fact-checking sources: Reuters, Poynter

The potential for this misleading claim to cause vaccine hesitancy increases its risk. Debunking messaging may explain that the overwhelming majority of the “neurological side effects” reported in the study were mild headaches and drowsiness, and none were severe, lasting, or required hospitalization. Messaging may also note that the study compared side effects across different vaccine types, not between vaccine recipients and unvaccinated controls. Continuing to emphasize that over two-thirds of the world’s population has safely received COVID-19 vaccines with no evidence of widespread health issues is recommended.

Fact Checking Source(s): Health Feedback

Rhetoric that downplays the potential seriousness of the flu or the effectiveness of flu vaccines may negatively impact flu vaccine uptake, increasing its risk. Prebunking messaging may emphasize that the flu shot provides the best protection against the flu by reducing the risk of infection, severe illness, and complications. Messaging may also caution against supplements and other unproven methods to protect against the flu.

Fact Checking Source(s): Mayo Clinic, Reuters, NIH