Trump Got It ALL Wrong Regarding Vaccines

Three Things Thursday

Three Things Thursday highlights three things I am paying attention to as an epidemiologist each week. This week’s news focuses on the U.S. Presidential candidates. On Tuesday, I wrote about gun violence and the need for policy changes following the attempted assassination attempt of former President Trump. And please remember, that Trump was NOT the only victim of gun violence over the weekend.

In the 72 hours from Saturday to Monday —

• 82 Americans were killed by a gun.

• 208 Americans were injured by a gun.

• 9 suspects of gun violence have been killed and another 8 have been injured.

These acts of gun violence took place across 39 states + the District of Columbia.

In addition, we learned yesterday that President Biden has been diagnosed with COVID-19. According to reports from his physician, his symptoms (runny nose and cough) are mild, and he has started taking Paxlovid.

President Biden is one of many individuals suffering from a summer case of COVID-19. Data show an exponential increase in SARS-CoV-2 virus in the wastewater across the country.

Data source

Why are we seeing an increase in cases right now?

Three things are happening simultaneously and the combination is leading to increased cases… first, new variants are emerging and they are effective at getting past our immune system. Second, there is waning immunity throughout our communities. Many of us haven’t been sick with COVID or vaccinated since the fall/winter. Our bodies are not as prepared to fight off an infection as they were six months ago. And then finally, we are traveling. Folks are sharing their air/germs on planes, trains, and buses. We are mixing with others at resorts, restaurants, amusement parks, and other vacation destinations.

What should we do?

Nothing has changed. We all should be —

• Staying home if we get sick (and isolating ourselves from others)

• Participating in outdoor activities as much as possible

• Masking in crazy-crowded spaces where the risk of disease spread is high

• Practicing good hand hygiene

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Despite these headlines, today’s three things focuses on the leaked video of former President Trump talking to RFK Jr. about vaccines. The conversation was recorded and posted to X (formerly Twitter). By the time the original video was deleted and RFK Jr apologized it had been reported again and again and again.

Below are the three things you need to know about vaccines, specifically three important corrections/fact-checks.

I want to contextualize this post by pointing out that as President in 2020, Trump oversaw Operation Warp Speed, which provided funding and support for the development of the COVID-19 vaccines. Trump received his COVID vaccine and booster shot. And his leadership and effort to get the COVID vaccines to the public — at no cost to individuals — should be applauded.

That said — what he said on the video this week was WRONG.

He is now a source of misinformation.

The conversation between Trump and RFK Jr occurred at the same time as a new study was released showing that there is a high rate of parental hesitation toward kids’ vaccinations.

And while I am NOT one to make predictions about what the future of health looks like, we are walking down a very dangerous path; one might call it a highway to the danger zone. With a decreasing number of children getting vaccinated, we will see —

1. A resurgence in vaccine-preventable illnesses

2. An increased number of missed school days

3. An increased number of children hospitalized with vaccine-preventable illnesses

4. An increased number of childhood deaths

5. An increased incidence of cancer cases that could have been prevented by the HPV vaccine.

Trump spread misinformation about vaccines in that leaked video.

He has caused serious damage to public health vaccine efforts. And I am upset. The public health community is upset. The record needs to be set straight.

So — here are three things Trump got wrong about vaccines.

Hoping this post helps to educate and empower you
to be healthy and create healthy communities.

#1 —

In the video, Trump states “When you feed a baby a vaccination that is like 38 different vaccines and it looks like it is meant for a horse…”

AH — this is NOT correct.

First of all, we do not feed babies vaccines. The Sabin polio vaccine is administered orally. However, it is no longer used in the United States. Vaccines are administered via a shot. Second, the shot is not that big.

Image source

And while having a needle jammed into your arm or leg muscle is not comfortable, these are not excessively large needles. There is discomfort in a shot, but excessively large needles are not used.¹

Finally, a child is not getting 38 vaccines in a single shot.

Yes, there are several combined vaccines (MMR, DTaP).

But 38 is a gross over-exaggeration. And just wrong.

FACTS: we use a needle to administer vaccines. Those needles are not excessively large (for people or horses). And no single shot contains 38 vaccines.

#2 —

Trump said “And then you can see the baby (after receiving the vaccine) all of a sudden starting to change radically.”

I feel like a broken record here, but it needs to be said again —

Vaccines are safe.

Vaccines do NOT cause autism.

The risk of getting a vaccine-preventable disease is far more dangerous than any risk associated with the vaccine itself.

Babies, small children, and even adults may cry after receiving a vaccine — is that the radical change Trump was talking about?!?!

One does not change after receiving a vaccine. It doesn’t happen. Period.

#3 —

Trump stated “And then you hear that it (vaccines) doesn’t have an impact.”

OMG.

Because of vaccines —

• Smallpox has been eradicated.

• 154 million children have survived childhood because they did not die from a vaccine-preventable disease.

• 33,700 cases of cancer are prevented each year in the United States.

• 1.4 million Europeans survived COVID

Vaccines are NOT monstrous. Vaccines save lives.

Trump got it all wrong during his conversation with RFK Jr.

I will continue to write, teach, answer questions, and advocate for vaccines. And will shout from the rooftops that vaccines and public health need to be prioritized.

We need to see health in all places and health (prioritized) in all policies.

Misinformation must be stopped.

Thoughts or questions about the leaked video?

This might be the most important post ever to share with your friends & family. Please — for me, for public health, for the safety and health of our children — share this post with your friends and family —

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Epi(demiology) Matters is written by Dr. Becky Dawson, PhD MPH — an epidemiologist, teacher, mom, wife, and dedicated yogi. She is a tenured professor at Allegheny College, Research Director at a community hospital, and an exclusive contributor (all things health & medicine) at Erie News Now (NBC/CBS). Her goal is to create healthy communities for all. She writes Epi Matters — first & foremost because epidemiology does matter (to all of us) and she hopes that each post will help to educate and empower readers to be healthy and create healthy communities.

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1. Also, just to be clear, needles used on horses are NOT that big either. Read more here.