Unveiling Truth: Dissecting Claims of Miscarriage Surge Post-Vaccine Rollout
Questioning a recent claim regarding miscarriages following the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, an alternative media outlet suggests a staggering increase of 366%. However, closer examination reveals a crucial absence of context.
The assertion: Miscarriages have surged by 366% due to COVID-19 vaccination.
While vaccines are generally deemed safe for expectant and new mothers, the exclusion of this demographic from vaccine trials has left healthcare providers without definitive data to guide their recommendations.
Yet, a recent study published by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology indicates that mRNA-based vaccines provide substantial protection against the virus for pregnant and lactating women, as well as potentially for their infants.
Despite these reassuring findings, social media discourse has propagated concerns suggesting that rather than safeguarding pregnancies, COVID-19 vaccines may trigger miscarriages.
One Facebook post from March 29 alleges a 350% increase in miscarriages within six weeks due to COVID vaccines. Another post on March 30, referencing Natural News, echoes this sentiment with a claim of a 366% surge.
USA TODAY has reached out to the authors of these posts for further elucidation.
Origins of the miscarriage claim traced to UK data
This isn’t the first instance of claims linking COVID-19 vaccination to miscarriages circulating on social media. Earlier this year, viral posts on platforms like Facebook and Instagram insinuated a connection between a physician’s miscarriage in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the vaccine, despite the event predating her vaccination.
Similar assertions have been addressed by independent fact-checkers, including Agence France-Presse, which debunked claims of COVID-19 vaccines causing infertility in women.
So, where does the 350% or 366% figure cited in the Facebook posts originate?
The source appears to be The Daily Expose, a London-based alternative news outlet that prides itself on reporting overlooked facts.
In late March, The Daily Expose purported that data from the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s Yellow Card Scheme indicated a rise in miscarriages over a six-week period.
“While the Daily Expose’s calculations are accurate, its interpretation is not entirely correct.”
According to the MHRA, there’s no discernible pattern suggesting an increased risk of miscarriage due to COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. They underscored the necessity of considering the number of vaccinated individuals alongside the expected rate of miscarriages in the population.
Furthermore, The Daily Expose’s article mentions instances of premature births and stillbirths following vaccination. The MHRA clarified that while premature births occur in approximately 8 out of 100 births in the UK, some could be expected post-vaccination due to chance alone.
Regarding the claim of a stillbirth, the MHRA informed Reuters that such events might be inaccurately reported. At the time of their statement in late March, they confirmed no documented cases of stillbirths reported to the agency.
It’s crucial to emphasize that both the CDC and the FDA have stated there’s no evidence to suggest the COVID-19 vaccine poses risks during pregnancy, albeit with limited data availability.
A recent data review by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices found that over 30,000 pregnant individuals have safely received the COVID-19 vaccine. While adverse pregnancy outcomes have been reported, they do not appear to occur more frequently than expected in the general population.
Our assessment: Missing context
We designate this claim as MISSING CONTEXT due to its potential to mislead. While the raw numbers regarding miscarriages are accurate, The Daily Expose fails to contextualize the increased vaccination rate among women during the specified period, along with the baseline miscarriage rate, which stands at approximately 26%. The MHRA has refuted any causal link between COVID-19 vaccination and miscarriage incidence.