copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2023-09-06): Experts say no. While there are a slew of variants in circulation in the U.S., BA.2.86 remains very rare. As of Aug. 30, the CDC said that the variant had been detected in four states: in Michigan, New York, Ohio and Virginia. [...] What’s more, the BA.2.86 variant — dubbed "Pirola" by some on social media — may not be as bad as scientists initially feared. [...] But new research shows that people who had been infected with an XBB subvariant in the past six months performed well against BA.2.86, Chin-Hong said. That suggests that the new boosters would be able to fend off this variant, even if it does become dominant, he added.
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2023-12-26): For months, BA.2.86 failed to gain much of a foothold around the world, despite being detected infecting people across dozens of countries after its discovery. [...] Variants grouped under the BA.2.86 umbrella, which include JN.1, have also made up the largest share of variants detected from the CDC's airport testing program on arriving international travelers in recent weeks. The CDC's own variant classifications have not been updated since September, when BA.2.86 was first deemed a "variant being monitored," the lowest classification for potentially concerning variants.
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2023-09-05): What about the new variant BA.2.86? [...] As of Aug. 30, there were 24 confirmed cases of BA.2.86 throughout the world, including three in the United States, one of whom tested positive at Dulles International Airport in Loudoun County, Virginia, through the CDC’s Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance. Ten others who tested positive for the variant were in Denmark, four were in Sweden, two were in South Africa, two were in Portugal, one was in Canada, one was in Israel and one was in the UK, the CDC said. [...] The CDC says it's still too soon to know whether BA.2.86 will cause more severe illness than previous variants.
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2023-09-06): What we know about BA.2.86 [...] But three new studies out this week suggest BA.2.86 is not as infectious as earlier variants or likely to undermine vaccines and established immunity. The first, posted online and not yet peer-reviewed, showed that the variant does not penetrate cells very well, suggesting it will not cause a tremendous number of infections. [...] The combination of all these new data points suggests BA.2.86 won't be a major threat as it stands now, Topol said. But he and others worry it could add mutations over time, becoming more contagious and more likely to avoid immunity protections and vaccines.
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2023-12-22): The variant's parent lineage, BA.2.86, has a large number of mutations compared to the original version of omicron — and those changes have enabled the virus to sidestep existing immunity. Compared to BA.2.86, the JN.1 variant has an additional mutation in the spike protein that could make it even easier for the virus to invade cells.
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2023-08-25): Q: On Wednesday, the CDC issued its initial risk assessment for the new BA.2.86 variant, which says existing tests, treatments and updated vaccines will likely still be effective, but it "may be more capable of causing infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or who have received COVID-19 vaccines." What does this mean? [...] So what people are very concerned about is what is going to happen if this variant is that different. Are we not going to have enough immunity to prevent people from getting infected? But the good news is that it appears the existing treatment and testing work, and that the updated booster, which should hopefully come out in a few weeks, does appear to have some level of immunity and should continue to have significant protection against hospitalization, severe disease and death. This again emphasizes why (being up to date on vaccines) is so important.
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2023-09-07): There’s a lot of news about the coronavirus and other respiratory viruses these days, some of it confusing. A new coronavirus variant — BA.2.86 — is attracting the attention of infectious-disease specialists. But on the good news front, a key federal panel met Sept. 12 to discuss the latest coronavirus booster, which targets the XBB variants of the virus. Officials expect the booster to become available this week. The panel recommended the booster for everyone ages 6 months and older. A new flu shot and new vaccines to protect against RSV are already out.
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2023-09-12): Will the vaccine be useful against the most recent variants, such as BA.2.86? [...] Most recently, EG.5.1 (commonly called Eris), which was responsible for 21.5 percent of recent cases, and BA.2.86 (commonly called Pirola), a new sub-variant, have gained traction. [...] Last week, Moderna published early results that show the updated booster induced a nearly nine-fold increase in antibodies against BA.2.86, and previous lab tests showed their vaccine also protects against sub-variants EG.5 and FL.1.5.1, which together make up 36 percent of new Covid cases in the U.S., per ABC News.
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2023-10-06): What about the vaccine’s effectiveness against the highly mutated BA.2.86 variant? Laboratory data suggest that the updated vaccines will generate an immune response that recognizes the BA.2.86 variant. This is especially good news after the initial concern surrounding the variant’s high number of mutations. Additionally, BA.2.86 has not caused a surge of cases in the countries where it’s been detected; it appears unable to compete with the other variants currently circulating. [...] That’s all to say that we’re now vaccinating a population that has some existing immunity, but ultimately updated vaccines will provide the safest and most effective protection against the currently circulating variants.
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2024-10-04): - The updated vaccines should work well against currently circulating variants of COVID-19, including BA.2.86, and continue to be the best way to protect yourself against severe disease. [...] Immune responses to the updated COVID-19 vaccine: People vaccinated with Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine, which includes a component that corresponds to the XBB lineage of the Omicron variant, showed a strong immune response against some of the variants that are common now (XBB.1.5, EG.5.1, and FL.1.5.1). They also had an overall boost in COVID-19 immunity that may have waned since their last vaccination or infection. Their antibody responses after vaccination were about 17-times higher against XBB 1.5 and about 10-times higher against BA.2.86 (a rare new variant that CDC is closely monitoring) compared to before vaccination. These data signal that the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine likely can provide strong protection against COVID-19 during this fall and winter virus season.
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2023-09-06): COVID cases continue to rise in the U.S. due to the new EG.5, or Eris, variant. AMA Vice President of Science, Medicine and Public Health Andrea Garcia, JD, MPH, analyzes the increase in COVID hospitalizations and shares the latest news about the EG.5 and BA.2.86, or Pirola, variants. Plus, the CDC Health Advisory on fatal Vibrio vulnificus (or V. vulnificus) infections and what physicians and patients need to know about it. AMA Chief Experience Officer Todd Unger hosts. [...] One study showed that across a range of different types of immunity, people were able to neutralize BA.2.86 and sometimes even more effectively than other circulating variants. Those people with the highest neutralizing antibodies were those that had recently recovered from an XBB infection. This suggests that the new vaccines should provide pretty good protection against BA.2.86. Again, that's encouraging. It's still early. Studies are still ongoing. So this is an area that we're going to continue to track.
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2023-09-18): "The majority of the U.S. population has some immunity" due to previous inoculations or infection, CDC epidemiologist Megan Wallace, DrPH, told the committee. But "new variants have emerged" and "hospital admissions are likely to increase this winter." Second, the new variants might circumvent immunity that had been gained through previous inoculations and infections. [...] Various subvariants have been emerging, including those designated BA.2.86 and EG.5, and might become dominant in the United States, CDC researchers told the committee. Natalie Thornburg, PhD, lead research microbiologist at the CDC, noted that those subvariants are basically on the XBB family tree.
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2023-09-13): That includes BA.2.86, a new strain that authorities began tracking in August. When it first emerged, BA.2.86 set off alarms because it had so many mutations. But a spate of recent lab studies suggest it is no better at evading immunity than other circulating variants, and the new COVID boosters should still provide protection.
Claim: With the new BA.2.86 variant, “We’re in a situation where vaccination, according to the CDC, increases the likelihood of infection” (John Campbell, 2023-08-29)
Evidence (2024-03-01): JN.1 descended from BA.2.86, which is a sublineage of the omicron BA.2 variant, TODAY.com previously reported — that's what sets JN.1 and BA.2.86 apart from the other prevailing variants like HV.1 and EG.5, which descended from omicron XBB. BA.2.86 has more than 30 mutations compared to the omicron XBB.1.5 variant, the dominant strain for most of 2023 and the variant targeted in the updated COVID-19 vaccine, TODAY.com previously reported. "When its parent BA.2.86 emerged, everybody was worried because it had a lot of mutations and looked like it was going to evade a lot of the immunity from vaccines and infection in the population," Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., professor and vice chair in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, tells TODAY.com. "But (BA.2.86) sort of fizzled out," he adds.
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2023-05-30): There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility or pregnancy complications. On the other hand, pregnant women are at a higher risk of stillbirth, need for ventilation, and death if they develop COVID-19. Multiple studies have shown that getting vaccinated reduces the risk of severe disease and pregnancy complications, and that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks. Hence, public health authorities such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend COVID-19 vaccination in women who are or wish to be pregnant.
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2022-01-18): Vaccination remains a major pillar of the response to COVID-19, particularly as variants of the virus continue to spread in EU/EEA countries. EMA’s COVID-19 task force (ETF) highlights the growing evidence indicating that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines do not cause pregnancy complications for expectant mothers and their babies. [...] EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) will consider the latest data from the manufacturers of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy with a view to updating the recommendations in the product information for the vaccines where applicable. [...] In line with the EU’s safety monitoring plan for COVID-19 vaccines, those vaccines are closely monitored, and relevant new information emerging is continuously collected and promptly reviewed. Although very large numbers of people have already received COVID-19 vaccines, certain side effects may still emerge as more and more people are included in vaccination programmes. EMA’s safety committee, PRAC will continue to monitor safety in pregnancy.
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2021-01-01): Adverse effects on female fertility from vaccination against COVID-19 unlikely - PMID: 34601377 - PMCID: PMC8453778 - DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2021.103428 Adverse effects on female fertility from vaccination against COVID-19 unlikely [...] COVID-19 vaccination and male fertility issues: Myth busted. Is taking COVID-19 vaccine the best choice for semen protection and male fertility from risky infection hazards?Andrologia. 2022 Dec;54(11):e14574. doi: 10.1111/and.14574. Epub 2022 Aug 29. Andrologia. 2022. PMID: 36038521 Free PMC article.
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2022-06-10): The impact of COVID-19 vaccines on fertility-A systematic review and meta-analysis - PMID: 36137903 - PMCID: PMC9464596 - DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.09.019 The impact of COVID-19 vaccines on fertility-A systematic review and meta-analysis [...] Conclusion: Based on the studies published so far, there is no scientific proof of any association between COVID-19 vaccines and fertility impairment in men or women.
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2022-04-29): While COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death from SARS-CoV-2 infection, many people who are eligible have elected to not get vaccinated. This is often due to concerns about possible side effects. One concern emerged when a false report surfaced on social media claiming that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 can cause infertility in women. The truth is COVID-19 vaccines don’t affect fertility. [...] COVID-19 vaccines don’t alter fertility "There is absolutely no reason to be worried about fertility with the COVID-19 vaccine," said Dr. Wilson, emphasizing that vaccines "do not cause infertility and they do not affect fertility one way or the other." [...] "What we always do is we have to allow ourselves some time to gather enough information to be able to factually and critically look at a particular problem," he explained. "When we did gather information, that’s when we found these claims of COVID-19 vaccines causing infertility just do not appear to be credible."
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2021-02-13): Covid: Claims vaccinations harm fertility unfounded Claims on social media that the Covid vaccine could affect female fertility are unfounded, experts have said. [...] And getting the Covid virus itself - which the vaccine protects against - has the potential to affect fertility, so "you're much more likely to have fertility issues post-Covid than after the vaccine," Prof Stonehouse said.
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2021-10-12): Worries that the Covid-19 vaccine could cause infertility are among the reasons people give for avoiding vaccination. While there’s no evidence any of the Covid vaccines cause problems with fertility, becoming severely ill from the disease has the potential to do so, reproduction experts say, making vaccination all the more important. Full coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic "There is evidence to suggest that infection with SARS-CoV-2 has the potential to impact both male fertility, female fertility, and certainly the health of a pregnancy of someone infected," said Dr. Jennifer Kawwass, a reproductive endocrinologist and associate professor at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. "And there is simultaneously no evidence that the vaccine has any negative impact on male or female fertility." [...] The vaccine does not decrease fertility, nor does it negatively affect reproduction, but there is very clear evidence that getting Covid while pregnant is incredibly dangerous, Kawwass said. "Pregnant women with symptomatic Covid-19 have a 70 percent increased risk of death compared to nonpregnant women with Covid," she said.
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2021-08-11): Covid vaccine: Fertility and miscarriage claims fact-checked False and misleading claims about Covid-19 vaccines, fertility and miscarriages are still circulating online, despite not being supported by evidence. [...] Some experts believe this was the origin of the whole belief that Covid vaccines might harm fertility.
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2021-08-11): Covid vaccine: Fertility and miscarriage claims fact-checked - Published False and misleading claims about Covid-19 vaccines, fertility and miscarriages are still circulating online, despite not being supported by evidence. [...] Some experts believe this was the origin of the whole belief that Covid vaccines might harm fertility.
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2022-03-21): Misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and fertility has propagated online despite the vaccines’ clear safety profile. [...] Some sources of misinformation claim that the COVID-19 vaccines cause male sterility. For this to be true, the vaccines would have to damage sperm quality, drastically reduce sperm count or interfere with the mechanisms inherent in male ejaculation. Quality clinical evidence has demonstrated that none of these parameters are affected by the vaccine, so men are not being made sterile. [...] While there is no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine can impact fertility or pregnancy, there is evidence that a COVID-19 infection can cause harm. At its extreme, the disease can be fatal — an outcome that is more likely if COVID-19 infection happens during pregnancy.
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2023-06-22): - EMA and the EU Member States continue to closely monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. [...] EMA and EU Member States continuously monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines to ensure any possible risks are detected and managed as early as possible. [...] At the peak of the pandemic, EMA also published monthly safety updates for all authorised COVID-19 vaccines, based on safety reporting by the marketing authorisation holders. Since August 2023, periodic safety update reports (PSURs) and their EMA assessments are made available for each vaccine.
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2022-03-15): A 2021 report by NewsGuard, an online service that rates the reliability of news and information websites, identified several false claims related to COVID-19 vaccines and fertility and reproduction. In addition to the syncytin-1 myth, the vaccines were falsely claimed to cause infertility in 97% of women; to increase miscarriage risks; and, in males, to negatively affect the testicles, the prostate, and testosterone levels. [...] In October 2021, almost a third of 1519 US adults in a nationally representative survey by KFF, formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation, reported that they heard that COVID-19 vaccines caused infertility and either believed the myth was true or weren’t sure. About a third of pregnant adults in the US remained unvaccinated as of early February 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID Data Tracker’s weekly statistics. [...] Lately, patients frequently tell her they’ve heard that COVID-19 vaccines cause significant and permanent menstrual cycle changes that can lead to fertility problems. Misinformation about menstrual changes is being used to "add new fuel to the claim that COVID vaccines affect fertility," Gregory said. "It can be used to bolster the older myths."
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2017-11-22): The EMA video highlights the importance of consulting reliable information sources on COVID-19 vaccination. [...] EMA carefully reviews all safety data and can confirm that there is no evidence of an increase in deaths related to COVID-19 vaccination in any age group, including in children. [...] As for other medicines, EMA has received reports of death following COVID-19 vaccination. Between January 2021 and December 2023, with around 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered, about 12,000 spontaneous reports of death were received in EudraVigilance from healthcare professionals and members of the public.
Claim: "The EMA admits COVID-19 vaccination causes infertility" (Anonymous, 2023-05-30)
Evidence (2023-06-15): Misrepresents source: The European Medicines Agency didn’t "admit" that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility. The guidance cited by the Exposé clearly stated that "There is no evidence to suggest the menstrual disorders experienced by some people have any impact on reproduction and fertility". On 30 May 2023, The Exposé published an article claiming that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) "admitted" that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility, citing changes made by the EMA to COVID-19 vaccine guidance indicating that heavy menstrual bleeding should be listed as a side effect of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. [...] While the EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) did recommend in October 2022 that the side effect of heavy menstrual bleeding be added to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine guidance, this is in no way an admission that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility as the Exposé claimed. In fact, the PRAC added that: