POLITIFACT's Misleading Claims 80% of Vaccination Side Effects

Image: miamiherald.com

In an article titled "No, Gates didn’t say 80% getting Moderna vaccine had significant side effects", POLITIFACT offers an explanation for the title and a completely false rating on it's meter system.

POLITIFACT claims that this was not said and implies that there are no significant side effects involved with vaccination, in fact checking an apparent Facebook post.

Had they left it with the title, we would have agreed with them, Bill Gates did not specifically say that. Rather he agreed, at that time, that there were systemic side effects with 80% of those tested, specifically "fevers, chills, etc...", to which Gates acknowledged and stated they (the FDA) would look at.

However, they didn't do that, they went on to say it was completely false, then contradicted themselves by saying:

It’s not uncommon for some people receiving the two-dose Moderna regimen to report pain in the arm that received the shot, or feeling tired or sick for a day or so, particularly after the second dose.

This coming directly after saying this wasn't the case.

The confusion is easily explained, POLITIFACT is once again asserting a relative opinion while simultaneous making an assumption of the Facebook users opinion, as a fact for the basis of their fact check.

"Significant" is relative. An 80% chance of "a day or so" of feeling tired and sick more than qualifies as "significant" to a sizable portion of the population.

The Webster's definition of significant is:

Significant
sig·nif·i·cant | \ sig-ˈni-fi-kənt \

having meaning
having or likely to have influence or effect

also: of a noticeably or measurably large amount

probably caused by something other than mere chance

A "significant" chance of rain doesn't mean a hurricane is going to pummel the city. It means it will likely rain.

Likewise, a "significant" side effect doesn't mean you are going to drop dead instantly, it means that it is probably that you are going to feel poorly for a period of time.

POLITIFACT appears to imply that "significant" means "severe" or "extraordinary" and downplays the Gates response. To premise this opinion, POLITIFACT points to the Moderna trial results where <1% of those given the vaccine experienced "severe adverse effects" such myocarditis, pericarditis, or Bells Palsy, all of which were experienced.

Those are not what many would consider "significant", rather those would be considered severe or extreme, however, that would also be a relative opinion. Notably the following side-effects were part of the Moderna trial referenced by POLITIFACT:

Lymphadenopathy (86%)
Pain (92.0%)
Fatigue (70.0%)
Headache (64.7%)
Myalgia (61.5%)
Arthralgia (46.4%)
Chills (45.4%)
Nausea/vomiting (23.0%)
Axillary issues (19.8%)
Fever (15.5%)
Swelling (14.7%)
Erythema (10.0%)

Again, whether or not those symptoms are significant or not is a matter of opinion and relative.

Whereas the title was factually correct from a literal standpoint, Gates did agree with the reporter. Further, the opinions expressed by POLITIFACT were precisely that, opinions and they're assumption as to the inner thoughts and intentions of the Facebook user have no viability either. As such this is a false fact check.

Additional Notes

On an additional note (and an opinion), we watched the Joe Rogan podcast from which this derived and he did not exaggerate, he did not make wild assertions, state opinions, or spread misinformation. He offered his perspective with actual words from a video featuring Bill Gates and was far more in tune with the facts he had at the time than POLITIFACT appears to be in this article.

Summary

POLITIFACT's fact-check of a Facebook post stating side-effects were experienced by 80% of Moderna trial participants was premise in relative opinion and assumption offering further relative opinions as justification.

Claim: "80% getting Moderna vaccine had significant side effects"

Fact Check Verdict: FALSE CLAIMS

Claimant: POLITIFACT