copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: “You don’t need masks, there is a cure [for COVID-19] ... It is called hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and Zithromax” (America’s Frontline Doctors, 2020-07-31)
Evidence (2020-07-28): The president also retweeted a misleading viral video—after Facebook had removed it from its platform for spreading misinformation—that attacked Fauci, touted the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a "cure," and claims facemasks and stay-at-home orders are not effective at stopping the virus. The video was published by Breitbart News on Monday and features a doctor by the name of Stella Immanuel who claims the virus "has a cure called hydroxychloroquine, zinc and Zithromax" and "you don’t need masks, there is a cure." [...] There is no cure for coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and multiple studies have shown hydroxychloroquine to be ineffective at treating Covid-19.
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2023-11-15): COVID-19 vaccines are safe during pregnancy, both for the mother and the unborn child. Getting COVID-19 vaccines while pregnant doesn’t increase the risk of infant mortality. In fact, being protected against severe COVID-19 may lower the risk of pregnancy complications.
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2022-01-13): Population-level data on COVID-19 vaccine uptake in pregnancy and SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes are lacking. We describe COVID-19 vaccine uptake and SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women in Scotland, using whole-population data from a national, prospective cohort. Between the start of a COVID-19 vaccine program in Scotland, on 8 December 2020 and 31 October 2021, 25,917 COVID-19 vaccinations were given to 18,457 pregnant women. Vaccine coverage was substantially lower in pregnant women than in the general female population of 18−44 years; 32.3% of women giving birth in October 2021 had two doses of vaccine compared to 77.4% in all women. The extended perinatal mortality rate for women who gave birth within 28 d of a COVID-19 diagnosis was 22.6 per 1,000 births (95% CI 12.9−38.5; pandemic background rate 5.6 per 1,000 births; 452 out of 80,456; 95% CI 5.1−6.2). Overall, 77.4% (3,833 out of 4,950; 95% CI 76.2−78.6) of SARS-CoV-2 infections, 90.9% (748 out of 823; 95% CI 88.7−92.7) of SARS-CoV-2 associated with hospital admission and 98% (102 out of 104; 95% CI 92.5−99.7) of SARS-CoV-2 associated with critical care admission, as well as all baby deaths, occurred in pregnant women who were unvaccinated at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis.
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2022-10-17): COVID-19 vaccination is effective in reducing the risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women1,2, but high levels of vaccine hesitancy remain in pregnant populations. In England and Scotland, 59.5% and 63.0%, respectively, of women giving birth in January 2022 had received at least one prior dose of COVID-19 vaccination at any point, which was considerably lower than the coverage seen among the general population of reproductive age women at that time3,4,5. [...] A total of 18,780 pregnant women received COVID-19 vaccination between 6 weeks preconception and 19 + 6 weeks gestation (or the end of pregnancy if earlier) (Fig. 1). The characteristics of the vaccinated cohort, and the matched historical and contemporary control groups, are provided in Table 1. Compared to controls, vaccinated women were more likely to be from the least deprived areas. Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 was the most frequently received vaccine type, and around a quarter of the vaccinated women received two or more doses during the exposure period. Reflecting the roll out of the national vaccination programme in Scotland (Supplementary Fig. 1), most included vaccinations occurred in May to August 2021 (Fig. 2).
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2024-08-27): - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu and Tdap Vaccination Coverage Among Pregnant Women – United States, April 2022. Flu, Tdap, and COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among Pregnant Women – United States, April 2022 | FluVaxView | Seasonal Influenza (Flu) | CDC - DeSisto CL, Wallace B, Simeone RM, et al. Risk of Stillbirth Among Women With and Without COVID-19 Delivery Hospitalization — United States, March 2020–September 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:1640–1645. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7047e1 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 Vaccination Among Pregnant People aged 18-49 years overall, by race and ethnicity, and date reported to CDC – Vaccine Safety Datalink , United States. Accessed on March 1, 2023. CDC COVID Data Tracker: Vaccination Among Pregnant People - Brewer, LI, Ommerborn, MJ, Nguyen, AL, et al. Structural inequities in seasonal influenza vaccination rates. BMC Public Health. 2021;21: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11179-9 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Guide for Community Partners. Increasing COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities. Accessed on April 5, 2023.
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2024-09-27): A new study on COVID-19's effects on US infants notes that the proportion of hospitalized babies of mothers vaccinated during pregnancy plunged from 18% in October 2023 to 4% in April 2024, underscoring the need for increased vaccine uptake. [...] Of 1,065 infants with known maternal vaccination status, 87.5% of moms had no documentation of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. The proportion of hospitalized infants whose mothers had received COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy was 17.6% in 2022-23, falling to 4.3% in 2023-24. [...] "To protect young infants from severe COVID-19–associated outcomes, prevention should focus on vaccination of pregnant persons, which protects infants through transplacental transfer of antibodies, and nonpharmaceutical interventions, such as hand hygiene and avoiding exposure to persons with respiratory illness signs and symptoms," the researchers wrote.
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2022-01-01): Population-level data on COVID-19 vaccine uptake in pregnancy and SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes are lacking. We describe COVID-19 vaccine uptake and SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women in Scotland, using whole-population data from a national, prospective cohort. Between the start of a COVID-19 vaccine program in Scotland, on 8 December 2020 and 31 October 2021, 25,917 COVID-19 vaccinations were given to 18,457 pregnant women. Vaccine coverage was substantially lower in pregnant women than in the general female population of 18-44 years; 32.3% of women giving birth in October 2021 had two doses of vaccine compared to 77.4% in all women. The extended perinatal mortality rate for women who gave birth within 28 d of a COVID-19 diagnosis was 22.6 per 1,000 births (95% CI 12.9-38.5; pandemic background rate 5.6 per 1,000 births; 452 out of 80,456; 95% CI 5.1-6.2). Overall, 77.4% (3,833 out of 4,950; 95% CI 76.2-78.6) of SARS-CoV-2 infections, 90.9% (748 out of 823; 95% CI 88.7-92.7) of SARS-CoV-2 associated with hospital admission and 98% (102 out of 104; 95% CI 92.5-99.7) of SARS-CoV-2 associated with critical care admission, as well as all baby deaths, occurred in pregnant women who were unvaccinated at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis. [...] Covid-19 vaccination and pregnancy: a systematic review of maternal and neonatal outcomes.J Perinat Med. 2023 Feb 17;51(7):823-839. doi: 10.1515/jpm-2022-0463. Print 2023 Sep 26. J Perinat Med. 2023. PMID: 36800343 Review.
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2024-03-01): Results of this cohort study suggest that COVID-19 vaccination was safe during pregnancy from the perspective of infant neurodevelopment to 18 months of age. Additional longer-term research should be conducted to corroborate these findings and buttress clinical guidance with a strong evidence base. [...] Problematically, pregnant individuals were excluded from the initial large-scale randomized clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines. Despite subsequent demonstrations of COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy in pregnant individuals4-7 and guidance from professional organizations recommending vaccination of this population,8 vaccine hesitancy obstructed universal vaccine uptake. As of May 2022, the majority of those planning pregnancy or currently pregnant expressed doubt if pregnant people should get the COVID-19 vaccine in a Kaiser Family Foundation study.9 Indeed, early safety data focused on vaccine adverse effects and short-term perinatal outcomes such as miscarriage and preterm birth,6 but longer-term offspring developmental outcomes could not yet be assessed when real-time guidance was issued. [...] We observed differential outcomes of exposure on neurodevelopmental delay by sex. Maternal COVID-19 vaccination was associated with increased risk of abnormal ASQ-3 screen at 12 months in male infants but not at 18 months. Interestingly, an electronic heath record study from 2 prominent Massachusetts health systems examining International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, billing codes for neurodevelopmental disorders identified an increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders at 12 months among male but not female infants after in utero exposure to COVID-19 infection; this association was similarly not sustained at 18 months.27 It is unclear whether these findings, in conjunction with those of our study, are spurious or associated with a true but transient phenomenon linking inflammatory exposures to developmental trajectories.
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2023-07-15): Also in agreement with our findings are some of the results of the recently published Dick et al.65. This 2022 retrospective cohort study compared pregnant women of different vaccination statuses during pregnancy. They found, similar to our results, a slightly higher rate of gestational diabetes among those women vaccinated against COVID-19. There was also a slightly increased rate of delivery of Cesarean deliveries amongst the triple vaccinated compared to the non-vaccinated, also similar to the present study. It will be interesting to see if these small differences exist in future studies and what causes they could be attributed to. [...] Blakeway, H. et al. COVID19 vaccination during pregnancy: coverage and safety. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol.226, 236.e1–236.e14 (2022). [...] Rottenstreich, M. et al. COVID19 vaccination during the third trimester of pregnancy: rate of vaccination and maternal and neonatal outcomes, a multicentre retrospective cohort study. BJOG Int. J. Obstet. Gynaecol.129, 248–255 (2022).
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2021-06-16): Through early May 2021, COVID-19 vaccination coverage among pregnant women within VSD was low; however, coverage increased over the analytic period across all age and racial and ethnic groups. The increase might be attributable to inclusion of pregnancy among the conditions that increase risk for severe COVID-19 and thus for prioritization for early allocation of COVID-19 vaccines,§§ as well as the rollout of vaccines to the entire U.S. population in mid-April. In addition, analyses of emerging data regarding safety of COVID-19 vaccines, specifically mRNA vaccines, have detected no safety signals for pregnant women (10). In early data from three of CDC’s vaccine safety monitoring systems, no safety concerns were identified for vaccinated pregnant women or their infants; additional follow-up is needed, particularly among women vaccinated in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy (10). There are also emerging data suggesting that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy can lead to transfer of antibodies through placenta and breast milk, which might confer some immunity to newborns.¶¶
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2021-03-16): Pregnant individuals considering COVID-19 vaccination may benefit from a discussion with their physician or other health care professional to weigh the benefits and potential risks of vaccination. However, this discussion should be optional so that it does not impose a barrier to vaccine receipt. Issues to consider in that discussion include data from animal studies and on pregnant individuals who were inadvertently exposed during vaccine clinical trials (once these data become available), risks of vaccine reactogenicity (eg, fever), timing of vaccination by trimester, evidence for safety of other vaccines, potential for mitigation of SARS-CoV-2 exposure risk (eg, working from home), risk of COVID-19 to the fetus or newborn, and the individual’s risk of complications due to pregnancy, her age, and underlying conditions.10 Studies to examine the effects of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy are in progress. For persons planning pregnancy, there is no evidence nor theoretical concerns regarding effects of COVID-19 vaccines on fertility. It is not necessary to delay pregnancy after COVID-19 vaccination. As part of pregnancy planning, clinicians should ensure that patients are up-to-date with all recommended vaccines, including COVID-19.
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2023-12-01): Pregnant women have an increased risk of severe COVID-19 compared with their nonpregnant counterparts and COVID-19 during pregnancy has been associated with fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.1,2 Vaccination is routinely recommended to protect pregnant women and their newborns from acute respiratory tract infections, such as influenza and pertussis, and pregnant women are designated a priority group for COVID-19 vaccination in multiple countries.3 Observational studies have demonstrated that the immunogenicity and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines are similar in pregnant and nonpregnant populations.4,5 Moreover, COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy confers protection to infants during the first months of life.6,7 Increased rates of adverse pregnancy or perinatal outcomes, including spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, and preterm birth, following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy have not been observed in epidemiological studies.8-10 [...] By contrast, we found that maternal COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy was associated with a slightly increased risk of neonatal readmission in unadjusted analyses. We hypothesize the observed increase was due to depletion of susceptibles39; this is supported by the finding that a small proportion of infants in the unexposed group were more likely to be excluded from analyses of readmission either because they died during the birth admission or because their birth admission was longer than 28 days. In the weighted primary analysis and most subgroup/sensitivity analyses, the association between maternal vaccination and neonatal readmission was no longer significant and there was no increase in hospital readmission up to age 6 months.
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2022-08-10): Covid-19 vaccination is the safest and most effective way for people who are pregnant to protect themselves and their babies against severe covid-19 disease. Available data do not support an increased risk of adverse outcomes following covid-19 vaccination in pregnancy, so vaccination should be recommended as the benefits of vaccination during pregnancy seem to outweigh any potential risks. The immunogenicity of vaccinations in pregnancy seems to be similar to that in the non-pregnant population; however, the optimal timing of vaccination in pregnancy for neonatal/infant benefit remains uncertain. Additional information on non-mRNA vaccines, vaccination early in pregnancy, and longer term infant outcomes are also needed. Given that pregnant people are at increased risks for severe complications from covid-19, increasing the data and knowledge surrounding vaccination in this population is important to help to reduce vaccine hesitancy. Along with more data, directed personal vaccine counseling by obstetric providers to pregnant patients may also improve vaccination rates. To meet all these goals, pregnant people around the world must be prioritized in covid-19 vaccine research.
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2024-10-08): DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000004693 - Halasa NB, Olson SM, Staat MA, et al. Maternal Vaccination and Risk of Hospitalization for Covid-19 among Infants. N Engl J Med. 2022;387(2):109-119. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2204399 - Hamid S, Woodworth K, Pham H, et al. COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations Among U.S. Infants Aged <6 Months — COVID-NET, 13 States, June 2021–August 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:1442–1448. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7145a3 - Simeone RM, Zambrano LD, Halasa NB, et al. Effectiveness of Maternal mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy Against COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations in Infants Aged <6 Months During SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Predominance — 20 States, March 9, 2022–May 31, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:1057–1064. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7239a3 - Muyldermans J, De Weerdt L, De Brabandere L, Maertens K, Tommelein E. The Effects of COVID-19 Vaccination on Lactating Women: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Front Immunol. 2022;13:852928. Published 2022 Apr 8. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.852928 - Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); 2006-. COVID-19 Vaccines. [Updated 2022 Sep 19]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK565969/
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2024-06-04): Black women continue to die from pregnancy and childbirth complications at unacceptably high rates, and U.S. women overall are more likely to die from maternal complications than women in other high-income countries. While the number of maternal deaths is lower in 2022 than in earlier years — primarily because there were fewer COVID-related maternal deaths — the United States faces continuing challenges in reducing maternal mortality.
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2022-08-09): For 2015-2020 combined, the infant mortality rate was 8.9 per 1,000 live births compared to the national rate of 4.8 per 100,000 live births. Substantial racial disparities exist with black/African Americans having over twice the rate of infant deaths as non-Hispanic whites.4 Although they remain too high, infant mortality rates have been on a steady downward trend, declining by about 26% over the past decade. The leading causes of infant death in Shelby County are Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) (23%), prematurity or low birth weight (18%), and congenital defects (17%).4 Sleep-related infant deaths are a substantial contributor to SUID.4 [4] [5] [6] [RR7] [...] - Nguyen, P. Y., Astell-Burt, T., Rahimi-Ardabili, H., & Feng, X. (2021). Green Space Quality and Health: A Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(21), 11028. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111028 - Shelby County Health Department. (n.d.). Fetal and Infant Mortality Review. Retrieved on August 22, 2022, from Fetal and Infant Mortality Review | Shelby County Health Dept., TN (shelbytnhealth.com)
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2024-03-14): - Neonatal deaths have decreased by 44% since 2000. Yet in 2022, nearly half (47%) of all deaths in children under 5 years of age occurred in the newborn period (the first 28 days of life), which is among the most vulnerable periods of life and requires intensified quality intrapartum and newborn care. [...] Globally 2.3 million children died in the first 20 days of life in 2022. There are approximately 6500 newborn deaths every day, amounting to 47% of all child deaths under the age of 5 years. [...] Children continue to face different chances of survival based on where they are born, with sub-Saharan Africa and southern and central Asia bearing the heaviest burden for newborn deaths. Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest neonatal mortality rate in 2022 at 27 deaths per 1000 live births, followed by central and southern Asia with 21 deaths per 1000 live births. In sub-Saharan Africa the risk of death in the first month of life is 11 times higher than that in the lowest-mortality region, Australia and New Zealand. At country level, NMRs in 2022 ranged from 0.7 death per 1000 live births to 39.4 deaths per 1000 live births, and the risk of dying before the 28th day of life for a child born in the highest-mortality country was about 60 times greater than in the lowest-mortality country.
Claim: COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 (Facebook Users, 2023-11-15)
Evidence (2021-12-07): - The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) commits to leading the efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among pregnant individuals, including by, 1) forming a COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Champion Network comprised of ACOG members that will facilitate peer-to-peer trainings to boost vaccine confidence, 2) launching a COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence training program aimed at increasing clinicians’ capacity to have confident COVID-19 vaccine conversations with all patients, and 3) launching a podcast series in early 2022 aimed at increasing vaccine confidence among pregnant individuals through a mix of clinical recommendations and storytelling. [...] - Maven Clinic will expand its free education and advocacy initiative addressing vaccine hesitancy for pregnant women, enabling any pregnant person to meet with a Maven OB-GYN or midwife to get answers to their questions about COVID vaccines for the entirety of 2022.