Voices for Vaccines is reporting that it is fact-checking several claims regarding vaccines, including statements made by President Donald J Trump. The organization addressed a claim by President Trump, reported by CNN, that the amount of liquid in childhood vaccines is comparable to a soda bottle. Voices for Vaccines said a single vaccine dose is about 0.5 milliliters, and the total liquid from all vaccines given in the first two years of life is approximately 7 milliliters. It added that the entire childhood vaccination schedule through age 18 totals about 31 milliliters, which is only about 5% of a 20-ounce soda bottle.
Voices for Vaccines also addressed claims that older adults receive so many vaccines that it equates to one every three to four months for two decades. It said that while regular flu and COVID vaccines contribute to the total, and the schedule may average out to about one vaccine every few months, doses are not typically spaced evenly. The organization emphasized that these vaccines are recommended to reduce the risk of serious illnesses, citing shingles as an example.
Additionally, Voices for Vaccines responded to President Trump's assertion that the combined MMR vaccine could be "quite lethal," and claims from anti-vaxxers that MMR vaccines are killing children. It noted that a study cited by these claims, posted on Zenodo, is an open research paper that may not have been peer-reviewed. Voices for Vaccines said the study uses data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), but cautioned that VAERS reports do not prove a vaccine caused a health problem, only that the problem occurred after vaccination. It stated that stronger studies are needed to determine causation and advised readers to interpret such studies carefully.