MOH rejects 'egregious and false claims' by People's Power Party about COVID-19 vaccines
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (Jun 3) rejected "egregious and false claims" cited by the People's Power Party, which had called for a suspension of COVID-19 vaccination.
The opposition party's Facebook post on May 29 cited "studies and analyses by prominent medical experts", which claimed that COVID-19 vaccines caused high incidences of severe side effects, MOH said.
It also attempted to draw associations between high vaccination rates and excess deaths, the ministry said in a media statement on Monday.
The People's Power Party claimed that Singapore has been experiencing "unusual and exceptionally high excess deaths" since 2021 when COVID-19 vaccination was introduced as compared to pre-vaccination years.
"It is more worrying that such high excess deaths situation is not unique to Singapore as other highly COVID-19-vaccinated countries and region are also encountering similar problems," said the opposition party in its Facebook post.
MOH categorically rejects these egregious and false claims, said the Health Ministry, adding that people must "draw the right conclusions and follow the scientific evidence on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines".
"The primary reason why Singapore recorded one of the lowest excess death rates in the world during the pandemic, is because the majority of Singaporeans took the vaccines," said MOH.
The ministry also said that contrary to the claims that vaccination has led to excess deaths, multiple studies have shown that that COVID-19 vaccination reduces the risk of death as compared to the unvaccinated during the period of the pandemic.
This includes countries that predominantly use the mRNA vaccines, it added.
“In fact, 19.8 million deaths from COVID-19 were prevented globally within the first 12 months that vaccines became available (from December 2020 to December 2021)”, said MOH.
The Health Ministry added that excess deaths in Singapore during the pandemic were attributable to deaths of people infected with COVID-19 or those with a recent infection. Of those who died, there was an "over-representation" of people who were not fully vaccinated.
The high level of vaccine protection in our society averted many COVID-related deaths, protected our healthcare system from being overwhelmed, and allowed us to preserve lives and livelihoods, said the ministry.
“The normalcy in our daily lives today is in large part due to the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide.”
Related:
MOH said that during Singapore’s previous JN.1 wave, the incidence rate of COVID-19 hospitalisations and ICU admissions among seniors aged 60 years and above who were not vaccinated was nearly double that of those who had kept their vaccination updated.
Multiple international and local studies conducted over other past waves also consistently showed the effectiveness of vaccination in preventing severe outcome of COVID-19 infection, especially among seniors, it added.
Vaccination and boosting also "mitigate the risk of developing long-term conditions after COVID-19 infection", it said. These include cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and thrombotic complications.
“This is why keeping up to date with additional vaccine doses is pertinent even as COVID-19 becomes endemic, much like vaccination against influenza and pneumococcus,” said the ministry.
“COVID-19 waves occur from time to time and can cause severe disease among those who are older or medically vulnerable.
"The vaccines will be able to protect individuals and prevent deaths."
MOH has responded to each of the "so-called experts" cited by the People's Power Party.
Dr Peter McCullough
Views quoted
"His research highlighted a high correlation between the vaccination and an increased incidence of myocarditis, particularly among young individuals. In a comprehensive review, Dr McCullough noted that the risks of myocarditis, particularly among males under 30 appeared to outweigh the benefits of vaccination."
Background info
- American cardiologist.
- Involved in the activities of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons which publishes articles that cast doubts on COVID-19 vaccination risk-benefit and call for suspension of COVID-19 vaccination.
- Promoted misinformation about COVID-19, its treatments and mRNA vaccines, such as mRNA vaccines caused a wave of severe side effects and called for the vaccines to be banned.
- Advocated for early treatment using the discredited treatments hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin.
- There were reports which indicated that in October 2022, the American Board of Internal Medicine recommended that Dr McCullough’s board certification be revoked due to his promotion of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.
MOH’s response
MOH does not dispute that myocarditis/pericarditis is a possible serious adverse event post mRNA or Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccination. This is a recognised side effect of these vaccines that was picked up by safety monitoring by health regulators.
However, data and experience that have accrued to date confirm that the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis continue to be very rare after vaccination.
This rare risk is predominantly observed in men aged 12 to 29 years and largely occurs within the first week after vaccination. Risk of myocarditis and pericarditis occurring after vaccination is less likely than after a COVID-19 infection.
In consultation with the Expert Committee On COVID-19 Vaccination (EC19V), male vaccinees aged 12 to 29 years who are receiving any dose of Moderna/Spikevax, Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty or Novavax/Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccines would have been advised to refrain from participating in strenuous physical activities for one week after vaccination.
The benefits of being vaccinated continues to outweigh the risks of doing so, including in men aged 12 to 29 years, and individuals are encouraged to do so based on prevailing recommendations.
In addition, we note that Dr McCullough’s study on A Systematic Review of Autopsy Findings in Deaths after COVID-19 Vaccination was removed by Preprints with the Lancet as “the study’s conclusions are not supported by the study methodology”. Dr McCullough was the co-author, and the first author - Nicolas Hulscher is a research fellow at the McCullough Foundation started by Dr McCullough.
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Dr Geert Vanden Bossche
Views quoted
"Expressed significant concerns regarding the potential long-term impact of mass vaccination during a pandemic. Dr Vanden Bossche’s studies indicated that widespread vaccination could potentially lead to the evolution of more virulent strains of the virus."
Background info
- Belgium virologist.
- Wrote an open letter to WHO, which claimed that large-scale COVID-19 vaccination would lead to “monster” variants when the virus spreads from older people to those who are younger.
MOH’s response
MOH notes that although the PPP did not provide any references for studies done by Dr Bossche, his open letter to WHO in March 2021, and in his book published in 2023, The Inescapable Immune Escape Pandemic, he discussed that COVID-19 mass vaccination (mRNA vaccines in particular) during the Omicron phase of the pandemic has expedited the selectional adaptive evolution of the virus, as booster doses and growing vaccine coverage rates allowed for more frequent and widespread infections.
We note that viruses naturally mutate as they replicate, and there is no evidence that the mRNA vaccines contribute to this.
The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant which caused a major COVID-19 wave globally, rapidly emerged even before the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccines.
This demonstrates that the virus mutates substantially even without the vaccine.
The mRNA vaccine generates a protective immune response by our bodies and does not interact directly with the SARS-CoV-2 virus to result in mutations or variants.
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Dr Robert Malone
Views quoted
“He pointed out potential issues with vaccine safety profiles and called for more transparency and rigorous post-marketing surveillance. Dr Malone stressed that comprehensive data was needed to fully understand the long-term safety and efficacy of the mRNA vaccines.”
Background info
- American physician and biochemist
- Reported to be spreading falsehoods about vaccines, which have been debunked by US infectious diseases experts, including Prof C Buddy Creech, former President of the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Society.
MOH’s response
We note that Dr Malone did not author any of the quoted articles.
Nonetheless, MOH and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) will continue to monitor local adverse reporting, as well as local and international safety data of COVID-19 vaccines, on an ongoing basis.
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Dr Jessica Rose
Views quoted
“Analysed data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and found a notable increase in reports of serious adverse events following the COVID-19 vaccination. Her findings indicated a need for immediate and thorough investigation into the reports.”
Background info
- Reported as a postdoctoral researcher (Biochemistry) from the Israel Institute of Technology from 2016 and an independent researcher currently.
MOH's response
The 2021 paper by Dr Rose, A report on myocarditis adverse events in the US Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) in association with COVID-19 injectable biological product has been indicated as “withdrawn at the request of the author(s) and/or editor”.
MOH does not dispute that myocarditis/pericarditis is a possible serious adverse event post mRNA or Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccination. This is a recognised side effect of these vaccines that was picked up by safety monitoring by health regulators.
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Dr Aseem Malhotra
Views quoted
“Highlighted potential risks associated with COVID-19 vaccines. He has been vocal about the need to re-evaluate current vaccination strategies in light of emerging evidence. Dr Malhotra pointed out that given the increasing reports of adverse events, there was a compelling case for re-assessing the risk-benefit profile of these vaccines.”
Background info
- A cardiologist who has been reported to promote messages against mRNA vaccines.
MOH's response
We note that Dr Malhotra did not author any of the quoted articles. We also note that he is known to be promoting messages against mRNA vaccines
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Professor Masanori Fukushima
Views quoted
“Expressed concerns about the long-term effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Stressing the importance of transparency and rigorous scientific evaluation, Professor Fukushima remarked that comprehensive and transparent evaluations should be prioritised to ensure public trust and safety in vaccination programmes.”
Background info
- Representative Director of the Learning Health Society Institute and Professor Emeritus at Kyoto University; a senior medical oncologist in Japan. He is not an infectious disease expert.
- In an interview, he claimed that the vaccine “was from the beginning, based on misconception, misconduct, and evil practices of science”.
MOH's response
We note that the study quoted “Autoimmune inflammatory reactions triggered by the COVID-19 genetic vaccines in terminally differentiated tissues” is co-authored by Prof Fukushima and Dr McCullough which “aims to draw attention ... to the critical need for biodistribution studies” for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
Biodistribution data based on animal studies was assessed for mRNA vaccines and the approval of the vaccines was based on totality of evidence supporting the vaccines’ efficacy, safety and quality.
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Professor Angus Dalgleish
Views quoted
“Also raised concerns about the COVID-19 vaccines. He echoed that the potential for adverse effects, particularly with respect to immune responses, warranted a re-evaluation of the current vaccination strategies.”
Background info
- Professor of Oncology at St George’s, University of London.
MOH's response
We note that Prof Dalgleish did not author any of the quoted articles.
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Professor Robert Clancy
Views quoted
“Expressed apprehension regarding the long-term impact of the COVID-19 vaccines on immune system function. Professor Clancy said that there were unresolved questions about the long-term effects of these vaccines on immune memory and response, which needed to be addressed before continuing mass vaccination programmes.”
Background info
- Retired Australian clinical immunologist in the field of mucosal immunology. Known for his research in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
- Reported to be in support of unverified info about claimed benefits of the drugs hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin during the pandemic.
MOH's response
We note that Prof Clancy did not author any of the quoted articles
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The People's Power Party also cited research papers and news articles, some of which were authored by people previously mentioned.
Letter to Editor: Increased risk of fetal loss after COVID-19 vaccination
Bibliography
Human Reproduction, 38(12), 2536-2536
Thorp, JA, Rogers et al (2023)
Background info
- James A Thorp is the Chief of Maternal and Pre-Natal Health, The Wellness Company.
- He was reported to be a gynaecologist in Florida.
- Dr McCullough is a co-author.
MOH's response
We note that this is a letter to the Editors of the Human Reproduction journal, on the fact that a separate systematic review by Rimmer et al (2023) had omitted their manuscript which reported significant harms to pregnant women and infants from COVID-19 vaccination. This manuscript was published in the Journal of the American Physicians and Surgeons, which is the official journal of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS). AAPS is known to publish articles that cast doubts on COVID-19 vaccination risk-benefit and call for suspension of COVID-19 vaccination.
We note that the Rimmer team responded to point out that this said manuscript was based on a simulation model that was constructed using data from the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) database that compares adverse events between COVID-19 and influenza vaccines as opposed to true incidence.
The Rimmer team also said, “Should the authors provide robust factual data on the true incidence of miscarriage following the use of COVID-19 vaccines, we would be more than happy to update our meta-analysis accordingly.”
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Research Paper: Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine-induced myocarditis
Bibliography
Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety, 15, 20420986241226566
Rose J, et al
Background info
- Dr Jessica Rose, Independent Researcher
- Dr McCullough is a co-author
MOH's response
We note an expression of concern has been issued for this article and investigations are underway. Nonetheless, myocarditis is a known side-effect and necessary precautions have been instituted when it was first reported in 2021, ahead of this article in 2024.
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News Article: Thousands believe COVID-vaccines harmed them. Is anyone listening?
Published
The New York Times, 3 May 2024
Background info
- Apoorva Mandavilli is a Science and Global Health reporter at The New York Times.
MOH's response
We note that the article did not question the safety, effectiveness and risk-benefit of COVID-19 vaccination, nor ask for suspension of COVID-19 vaccination.
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MOH said its recommendations on COVID-19 vaccination are evidence-based, adding that it will continue to monitor the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and adjust its recommendations accordingly.
The long-term effects of COVID-19 infections, collectively known as Long COVID, can be much worse without the protection of vaccines, said the ministry. Patients could register heart, respiratory and other complications post-infection.
Singapore has been transparent in reporting the incidence of side effects of COVID-19 vaccination, said MOH.
There are side effects to any vaccination, noted the Health Ministry.
"Until July 2023 when the safety profiles of the vaccines have been reviewed to be consistent with no new safety signals, we reported this on a regular basis, which showed that most side effects were mild, and that the reporting rates of severe side effects remained rare at 7 per 100,000 doses (0.007 per cent)."
Most recovered smoothly after rest and treatment, it added.
"In particular, we highlighted the relatively higher incidence of myocarditis amongst the young males, at about 1 in 100,000 doses (0.001 per cent)," said MOH.
The Health Ministry also cited data from the US showing that young men ages 18 to 29 years had seven to eight times the risk of myocarditis/pericarditis after COVID-19 infection, compared to after COVID-19 vaccination.
This is supported by other studies, including a systematic review which reported similar findings that the risk of myocarditis is more than seven times higher in persons who had COVID-19 infections than in those who received the vaccine.
As such, the benefit of vaccination continues to outweigh the risk for all ages, said MOH.
“That is why international and national health authorities continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccination,” it added.
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There is a very large body of scientific evidence that overwhelmingly shows that the protection from COVID-19 vaccines outweighs the side effects, said the ministry.
"Yet, several groups continue to spread misinformation, either by quoting scientific literature out of context or sharing materials from non-credible sources who cannot be held accountable, to cast doubts on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.
"At least the People’s Power Party has consolidated these reports, to give us the opportunity to rebut them at one go."
MOH noted that the list of scientific articles cited by the opposition party was mostly from the same group of authors, including some who have been reported to be promoting messages against COVID-19 vaccination.
“We urge the public to verify information found on the Internet against authoritative sources,” said MOH.
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