Voices for Vaccines is reporting on several claims regarding vaccine safety and efficacy, providing factual rebuttals to each.
Regarding claims that GAVI, a global vaccine charity, is eliminating thimerosal-containing vaccines due to dangers, Voices for Vaccines said this is inaccurate. Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, is used in some multi-dose vaccine vials, particularly in lower-income regions, to prevent contamination. It contains ethylmercury, which the body quickly eliminates, unlike methylmercury found in some fish. Studies have shown thimerosal does not increase the risk of autism or harm the brain or body. While GAVI is working to remove thimerosal, it is due to funding concerns, not safety issues. Autism diagnoses continued to rise in the U.S. even after thimerosal was largely removed from childhood vaccines in 2001.
On the claim by Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson that 39,000 children died from COVID vaccines, Voices for Vaccines stated that this misuses data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). VAERS is an early warning system where anyone can report health problems after vaccination, but these reports do not prove a vaccine caused the issue. During the Emergency Use Authorization, all deaths occurring after vaccination were reported to VAERS, regardless of the cause, meaning deaths from unrelated incidents like car accidents could be included. Relying solely on VAERS numbers without further investigation provides a misleading picture.
Addressing the claim by Brian Hooker, featured in the film "Vaxxed," that a CDC whistleblower had proof vaccines cause autism but hid it, Voices for Vaccines explained this is based on Hooker's reanalysis of a study that found no link between vaccines and autism. Hooker's reanalysis was retracted by one medical journal due to serious problems and was later published by a group known for supporting questionable scientific claims. Experts criticized his work for inappropriate use of CDC data, switching study methods incorrectly, and excessive subset analyses, which can lead to false positives. Large, careful studies, including one in Denmark involving over 650,000 children, have consistently found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Research indicates autism is linked to prenatal brain development, not vaccines.