CDC misinformation on Covid-19 vaccines
WASHINGTON (SBG) — Scientists estimate 100 million Americans have already had Covid-19 and are presumed to have immunity for some period of time.
The question is whether they should go ahead and get vaccinated at a time when there are vaccine shortages and others need the vaccine more.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been telling people who have previously been infected that they can go ahead and get the shot. But they have been falsely quoting scientific studies to support that position. CDC says the studies proved the vaccines are effective for those who had coronavirus. But that’s not what the studies say.
A Full Measure investigation found that an outside scientist, Congressman Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky), discovered the error and contacted top scientists at CDC to try to get them to fix it.
He says he was met by obfuscation and resistance.
In a series of phone calls, CDC scientists and officials alternately apologize for the error, call it an “honest mistake,” insist that it’s not technically wrong, stonewall on making a clear fix, and say no harm was done.
Massie says the harm comes when people who have had Covid-19 see the CDC claim saying the vaccines work for them, and go ahead and get vaccinated, taking precious doses from those who need it more at a time when there are vaccine shortages.
CDC officials and scientists ignored our requests for interviews and information.
After being pressed by Rep. Massie, CDC corrected the information, but with a passage that Massie and other scientists say simply doubles down on the misinformation and still implies the studies showed vaccines are effective in people who have previously been infected.
To listen to the full podcast, click here.
