Dutch mainstream media have finally started reporting on the serious health damage being inflicted by the "safe and effective" COVID-19 mRNA shots. Although the media keeps emphasizing that the side effects are deemed "rare", scientists warn that the risks associated with the shots outweigh the benefits.
The study mentioned in the news report involved a collaboration of 24 researchers from different countries, analyzing the health of 99 million inoculated people from eight countries, and linked the mRNA products to serious problems affecting the heart, blood, and neurological systems. Notably, myocarditis (heart inflammation) occurred more frequently after all three doses of Pfizer and Moderna's mRNA vaccines, and pericarditis (inflammation of the heart sac) was more common than expected after some doses of Moderna and the third dose of AstraZeneca.
Cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), a type of blood clot in the brain, were associated with the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Other blood-related issues, such as low platelet count and pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs), were also reported. The study also revealed a noticeable increase in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) after the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and an increase in acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) after the first dose of Moderna.
Some neurological problems such as myelitis transversa and Bell's palsy were also more common after certain doses of these vaccines. The authors admit that underreporting in different countries could have led to an underestimation of the actual problem. However, they suggest that the COVID-19 vaccines have saved around 19 million lives, which some critics dispute. It should be noted that the study's observed period of 42 days is relatively short.
Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported the risk of myocarditis to be one to ten cases per million for both Pfizer and Moderna shots, and compared these figures to a 40 in a million case risk for people "who did get COVID-19".
However, some independent critics claim that the increased risk of myocarditis after corona vaccination compared to the risk resulting from a corona viral infection is not supported by clear evidence. In fact, some studies suggest that there is no significant increase in myocarditis or pericarditis after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Critics argue that these studies should have been mentioned in the research; however, the research team did not cite them.
Pathologist Clare Craig, Co-Chair of the British Health Advisory and Recovery Team (HART), questions the results of the study highlighting the fact that corona vaccines have supposedly saved 19 million lives based on "laughable" models. Furthermore, a "scathing letter" from British cardiologist Dean Patterson calls for further investigation of the possible harms of corona vaccines, expressing concern over the increased cases of hospitalizations for myocarditis after the introduction of corona vaccines.
Critics of the study's media coverage have also stated that the research has limitations, including the short follow-up period, which only looked at the health outcomes of the vaccine up to 42 days after administration while examining only "thirteen selected adverse events of special interest (AESI) for neurological, hematological, and cardiac outcomes," thereby excluding other side effects such as herpes zoster reactivation.
Some critics also worry about potential conflicts of interest, given that the study was conducted by the Global Vaccine Data Network (GVDN) with funding from the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is similar to the Dutch RIVM. Furthermore, some researchers reported conflicts of interest, having previously received payments from or having a relationship with bio-pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer. Despite these limitations and worries, media reports failed to mention concerns other than those found in the study, which suggest that its findings may underestimate the nature of these issues.
Sources:
- Media bagatelliseren schade door coronavaccins
- "A comprehensive risk/benefit assessment of the mRNA vaccines questions them as positive contributors to public health"
- COVID-19 vaccines and adverse events of special interest: A multinational Global Vaccine Data Network (GVDN) cohort study of 99 million vaccinated individuals