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Research has also shown that the vaccine's protection against the virus wanes over time and should be complemented with a booster. A 2022 study found that patients who only received two shots of the Pfizer vaccine were limited in their protection against the Omicron variant compared to those who received three shots.
The risk arising from not getting the vaccine is much greater than being vaccinated, Scott Pauley, a spokesperson for the CDC, previously told USA TODAY. A 2021 CDC report found that people were five times more likely to have COVID-19 if they were unvaccinated and had prior infection.
Vaccines are safe for fetuses
It is unclear where the claim about the vaccine harming fetuses originates. But to date, the FDA and CDC have not identified any safety concerns about harm or harm to fetuses following administration of any of the COVID-19 vaccines, said Capobianco, the FDA spokesperson.
A 2021 CDC report found that receiving the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy was not associated with increased risk for preterm birth or small-for-gestational-age at birth.
Fact check: No evidence Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines cause miscarriage
A CDC report published in 2022 also found that patients who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and are pregnant may help "prevent COVID-19 hospitalization among infants" less than six months old.
There are pregnancy complications women can face if they are exposed to COVID-19, such as "delivering a preterm (earlier than 37 weeks) or stillborn infant," according to the CDC.
“COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now or might become pregnant in the future,” reads the agency's website.
Our rating: False
Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that 80,000 pages of Pfizer data show the vaccine has a 12% efficacy rate.
USA TODAY could not verify whether the 12% figure was in the 80,000 pages Pfizer released May 2. But experts said the 12% figure stems from an incorrect interpretation of a 2020 Pfizer clinical trial document.
The actual efficacy rate of the vaccine in the trial showed it was 95%. No research studies validate the 12% efficacy rate of the Pfizer vaccine. Multiple studies also show that the Pfizer vaccine is safe for fetuses.
Our fact-check sources:
Kit Longley, May 6, Email exchange with USA TODAY
Jeffrey Morris, May 6, Phone interview with USA TODAY
Amesh Adalja, May 6, Phone interview with USA TODAY
Howard Forman, May 6, Phone interview with USA TODAY
Abigail Capobianco, May 6, Email exchange with USA TODAY
COVID-19 Data Science, accessed May 6, Do the recent 80k pages of Pfizer documents released really show vaccine efficacy was only 12%?
ABC10, Nov. 19, 2021, FDA says 55 years to process request for extensive vaccine data under Freedom of Information Act
NBC5 Chicago, May 7, As New Omicron Subvariant Spreads, Here Are the Symptoms to Watch For
Food and Drug Administration, Dec. 10, 2020, Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting
USA TODAY, Nov. 10. 2021, Fact check: Fabricated story that Pfizer CEO was arrested for COVID-19 vaccine fraud
Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency, accessed May 9, Pfizer's documents
New England Journal Medicine, Dec. 10, 2020, Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine
New England Journal, Sept. 15, 2021, Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine through 6 Months
New England Journal, Nov. 9, 2021, Evaluation of the BNT162b2 Covid-19 Vaccine in Children 5 to 11 Years of Age
USA TODAY, Dec. 2, 2021, Fact check: COVID-19 vaccines safe for children, not linked to deaths
Science, Jan. 18, Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron by BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine–elicited human sera
Yale Medicine, Feb. 24, 2021, Comparing the COVID-19 Vaccines: How Are They Different?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jan. 7, Receipt of COVID-19 Vaccine During Pregnancy and Preterm or Small-for-Gestational-Age at Birth — Eight Integrated Health Care Organizations, United States, December 15, 2020–July 22, 2021
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Feb. 18, Effectiveness of Maternal Vaccination with mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine During Pregnancy Against COVID-19–Associated Hospitalization in Infants Aged <6 Months — 17 States, July 2021–January 2022
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 3, Pregnant and Recently Pregnant People
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