Anti-science case study: COVID-19 vaccines’ effectiveness and safety exaggerated

"Plaudits are due to the Public Health in Practice editorial team and Paul et al. for their recent article on unwarranted accusations of anti-science, which is used 'to discredit scientists who hold opposing views', and their call for 'a debate amongst scientists and decision-makers' in light of emerging evidence...

Paul et al. are aware of the 'suspicion of data falsification, unblinding of patients, and lack of controls' concerning the Pfizer trial, reported in Thacker; the revelation that 'the mRNA vaccines were associated with an excess risk of 'serious adverse events of special interest' in Fraiman et al.; and Benn et al. who noted that there was no statistically significant decrease in COVID-19 deaths in the mRNA vaccine clinical trials, while there was an increase (though also not statistically significant) in total deaths. These 7 articles alone should have us wondering if the benefits of the vaccines outweighed the risks for all groups even then, when the earlier and deadlier variants were rampant, to say nothing of Pfizer admitting now in 2024 that they are still trying to 'determine if COMIRNATY is safe and effective, and if there is a myocarditis/pericarditis association that should be noted' ... 

It seems obvious that the COVID-19 vaccines are not as effective or safe as advertised, and yet those asking legitimate questions about the scientific data and methods have been heavily censured and even persecuted. None of this is to say that the vaccines are bioweapons cooked up in Bill Gates' basement that will magnetise and kill over half the world's population. The truth is somewhere between these extremes, and it is our job as doctors, scientists, and researchers to get as close to the truth as possible, utilising different approaches, considering alternative perspectives, and all while still remembering that we must always be intellectually humble, recognising that absolute certainty will almost certainly remain out of reach.

Paul et al. are right to call for science to be freed from 'the pervasive influence of political expediency, industrial interests and corruption in healthcare and medicine'. There is much more that can - and must - be said about misinformation and reverse misinformation regarding COVID-19 (such as the inexplicable denigration of natural immunity), but that will have to wait for another time."