By Hector Felix, El Informador del Valle
Leer en español
The seminar was held from the editorial point of view and dealt with the subject of information – disinformation and the dangerous myths emerging from misinformation that circulates particularly in Spanish-speaking communities with regard to COVID-19 and the vaccines.
It all started at the beginning of 2020, as work was starting on the Census the pandemic started and all the social media dealt with was the pandemic, the information – disinformation was a breaking point for the World Health Organization and also a kind of infodemic, a pandemic of information – disinformation.
The disinformation presented throughout the pandemic has been due to different issues:
*When people hear something and they go spreading it without finding out if it is true, like for example, a person says “I don’t want the vaccine because the vaccine is causing heart problems or because they made it too fast.” More likely than not, that person heard it from someone else and that person from someone else and that is how misinformation starts.
When the information is broadcast on social media it is easier to follow it up and that is how to find the source of some things, others are more difficult. Most of the information that people get comes from social media.
One of the myths that arose from the beginning of the pandemic, and that still continues, is that people think that COVID does not exist. There are people who think that it is just a flu, and there are people who think that the vaccines can cause harm.
In order to end these myths it is important to put things into context.
Presenting the facts does not always work, but reporting on COVID and the experiences people have has a long-term impact. There are a lot of people who do not believe anything they hear in the media. The same goes for the social media and other spaces where people talk about having their own beliefs and ideas. A lot of that misinformation – disinformation is seen in Spanish coming from different countries, different groups, renegade doctors who were challenging all these scientifically-proven facts. There was also a lot of misinformation produced by government confusion because they did not know how to deal with certain things because they would give an order and then they would change it.
Cameron Hickey is the Project Director for Algorithmic Transparency at the National Conference on Citizenship. He says that there are a lot of sources of information – disinformation and half-truths about the pandemic and COVID-19, but the vast majority have categories in common. The following are these common categories:
*The problem that is seen and continues to be talked about is that the vaccine does not work. There are many different versions of this misinformation that communicate the same idea that the vaccine does not work. One legitimate idea is that the Omicron variant has been spread by vaccinated people; this is true, but the fact, out of context, is used to advocate against vaccination. Locations with high acceptance of vaccines still are experiencing outbreaks; this is partially true, again, extrapolation to advocate for not getting vaccinated. Many more boosters will be needed for Omicron. The need for boosters confirms that the vaccines do not work, in general. Natural immunity is better than vaccination.
*This is something that was seen before the vaccine existed. For many people within the anti-vaccine community, it is that the vaccine is dangerous, there are hundreds of ways that people talk about this, and that the vaccine is dangerous. Some people say that the vaccines contain toxic chemicals. Others things they say is that the vaccines have a chip. They think about the dangers of the vaccines. For example, there is a risk of heart attack or stroke; there are many examples that the people have seen individually, that they have seen the side effects. People amplify this and say it is very common.
*This is an important category and especially now there are various topics related to children and vaccines. One common topic that has been seen a lot in Spanish content is that the vaccines are not necessary because children have very strong immune systems so that when they get infected with COVID they will not get it very severely. Statistically this is true, but that does not mean that children should not get vaccinated. There are other sketchy stories about children having more dangerous side effects, like myocarditis. There is great variety of incorrect information and this causes anxiety among parents over their children because parents want to keep their children healthy.
*The vaccine is not safe. The idea is that the vaccine causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome because of the vaccine, which does not exist, and the idea is that by getting the vaccine the body’s immune system will be weakened, which is not true. The idea is that the vaccine weakens the immune system and other things will get you sicker. This topic is very widespread among people that think that the vaccine will cause one to have other problems.
*The vaccine requirements violate liberties is unreasonable, so then there is news and memes about these ideas that basically say that the vaccine mandates violate the constitution. The Nuremberg Code from the Second World War basically says that it is not ethical to experiment on people. The idea that the vaccine passports violate privacy and many other similar ideas. There are many examples of people resisting, not because the vaccine is dangerous, not because the vaccine does not work, but rather because they do not want to be obligated to get vaccinated. There are people quitting their jobs because of the violations of freedom, which is not true. It is subjective, if a person feels that the vaccine requirement violates their freedom, but the content is related to many forms of disinformation or lack of information, which is a problem.
*It is a question of conspiracy theories. When these theories are talked about they are incredible statements that fault someone in particular or create a motive for why COVID exists or why vaccines exist. For example, to say that COVID was invented in China, that the illness or the vaccine is a bioweapon or that boosters are necessary for the new variants or that companies that create the vaccines want more money, the vaccines have tracing chips.
*Alternative treatments like ivermectin. People talk a lot about these and that they are suppressing. They are treatments that people think work but they are not popular but the CDC is not recommending them so each time there is an alternative treatment, there is a risk.
*Data related to the vaccines’ adverse effects. The CDC has a database called VAERS. There are reports there of people’s negative consequences that they see in their bodies after getting vaccinated. There are not many people who are into vaccines. The United States government has the database. That is why it has a very important reputation, because it comes from an authority. The problem is that people incorrectly use data from this source because they do not use the context. Not all people have side effects. Basically all the stories, all the news that use this database as justification probably will have a lack of information or missing context, so it is problematic content.
Information bombing creates a perfect scenario for the growth of rumors and the expansion of fake information. This is what was presented in the Coachella Valley community where part of the population pays attention to incorrect information, and myths are created about COVID, vaccines and mutations, where they should not. Experts respond to some myths that have been presented.
COVID Myths and Realities
Vaccines cause mutations and alterations in DNA
It is important to know that, although it is the first time that this technique is used on a massive scale, it has been used for a long time and it has been tried on zika and malaria vaccines. In addition, for those who are concerned about possible genetic changes that this type of vaccine may generate, the mRNA definitely does not enter the nucleus of the cell, so it has no contact with our DNA.
The other vaccine is AstraZeneca’s, made from DNA that is transported through adenoviruses and goes into the nucleus, but does not mix with our cells’ DNA. There, that DNA fragment produces RNA that comes out of the nucleus and becomes the protein that will be present in the immune system to react and protect the body in case it is infected by the virus.
So far, COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be effective and to have a low frequency of adverse effects.
Natural immunity
“The level of protection afforded by vaccination and survival from a previous infection changed during the study period. Vaccination remains the safest strategy to protect against COVID-19,” the CDC said in a statement.
The highest protection in the study was among those with vaccinations and prior COVID-19, and hospitalization rates followed a similar pattern.
Percentage/probability of contracting COVID-19 after exposure without vaccine
The risk of exposure and infection to COVID-19 continues as several Californians remain unvaccinated and unboosted.
Real-world evidence continues to show that the vaccine prevents serious illness, hospitalizations and deaths. Public health officials are urging Californians to get vaccinated and receive a booster as soon as possible.
COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing infection, severe illnesses and death. Most people who become ill with COVID-19 are not vaccinated. However, since vaccines are not 100% effective in preventing infection, some of those who are fully vaccinated will become infected with COVID-19 anyway. Infections that occur in fully vaccinated persons are referred to as “breakthrough infection”.
COVID-19 vaccines protect people 5 years of age and older from becoming infected and severely ill, and significantly reduce the likelihood of hospitalization and death.
Vaccination is the best way to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent infection with the delta variant, among other variants.
A breakthrough infection occurs when a fully vaccinated person becomes infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Vaccinated people who become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread it to other people.
Those who are immunodeficient do not always achieve adequate levels of protection after an initial 2-dose series of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. They should continue to take all recommended precautions for unvaccinated people until instructed otherwise by their health care professional. In addition, CDC recommends that people with moderate or severe immunodeficiency receive an additional primary dose of the vaccine.
COVID-19 vaccine vs. Omicron vaccine: increased side effects
It all depends on the vaccine a person receives. As with any vaccine, some people will experience mild to moderate side effects after being vaccinated against COVID-19. This is a normal sign that the body is developing protection. Side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, diarrhea, and pain or redness at the injection site. Not all people have side effects. Most of them disappear on their own within a few days. They can be alleviated with rest, plenty of non-alcoholic fluids and medication for pain and fever, if necessary.
If you are concerned that the side effects you are feeling are unusual, if the pain in the arm where you received the injection worsens after 24 hours or the side effects do not go away within a few days, contact your doctor for advice.
More serious or long-lasting side effects to COVID-19 vaccines are possible, but very rare. If you have difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, loss of speech or mobility after the vaccine, contact your doctor immediately. Vaccines are continuously monitored as they are used to detect and respond to unusual adverse events.
Booster doses help to extend and strengthen protection against Omicron and other virus variants that cause the COVID-19 disease.
When someone is vaccinated their cells begin to produce the S protein of the virus. Their immune system detects it, warns that it is foreign and produces defenses against it.
