No, declining the COVID-19 vaccine wont make you 99.8% safe from the virus – Tampa Bay Times

An image shared on Instagram claims that people are largely safe from catching COVID-19 even if they dont take the vaccine.

By declining the vax, I am 100% safe from adverse reactions and 99.8% safe from COVID, the images text reads. Id say those are pretty safe [odds.]

The image appears to be a screenshot of an Instagram post. Although the account featured in the post does have several anti-vaccination posts, we could not find that specific image on its timeline.

The post was flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. Instagram is owned by Facebook. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

While the post doesnt give a source for the figures it cites, weve fact-checked similar claims before about unvaccinated people and their chances of survival against COVID-19.

As with the previous claims, this post appears to conflate the global survival rate for the virus with an individuals chance of survival.

Of the 290 million people in the world who have tested positive for the virus as of Jan. 3, around 5.4 million people, or fewer than 2 percent, have died, according to The New York Times. That means at least 98 percent of people in the world who had COVID-19 survived.

However, the global survival rate for the virus should not be considered the same thing as an individuals chance of survival.

A persons age, gender, health history and where they live all factor into how likely they are to survive an infection, according to Our World in Data.

No vaccine is ever 100 percent effective, but early studies showed the protection provided by the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can reduce a persons risk of infection from the virus by as much as 91 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine can reduce that risk by 66 percent.

The vaccines effectiveness has waned over time and with the prevalence of more infectious coronavirus variants like delta and omicron, prompting health officials to approve booster shots. Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson have said booster doses of their vaccines are able to protect against severe symptoms and hospitalization related to the omicron variant.

Health officials have also stressed the vaccines are safe to use and that serious adverse reactions are rare.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said during a November White House briefing, before this post was made, that unvaccinated people in the U.S. are six times more likely to test positive for the virus and have at least a 14 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19 compared with vaccinated people. In a December briefing following a surge in cases caused by the omicron variant, Walensky said those figures only went up: Unvaccinated people in the U.S. were 10 times more likely to test positive for the virus and were at 20 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19 compared with vaccinated people who received a booster dose. The hospitalization rate for unvaccinated adults in the country was also 17 times higher.

Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter

Well deliver the latest news and information you need to know every weekday morning.

Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? Letsgetstarted.

Our vaccines are working really well to prevent severe disease and hospitalization and death, Walensky said. Theyre actually also working quite well to prevent cases, although we do know more breakthrough cases are happening in the context of omicron.

The latest data from the CDC also show the case and death rates of COVID-19 remain high among unvaccinated individuals compared with those who are vaccinated.

Similarly, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a July interview with NBC that unvaccinated people accounted for 99 percent of deaths in the U.S. related to the virus. And, accounting for omicron, he said in the December White House briefing that while omicron may result in less severe symptoms compared with the other variants, its increased transmissibility is still a danger, especially among unvaccinated populations.

The risk of severe disease from any circulating variant, including omicron, is much, much higher for the unvaccinated, he said.

An image shared on Instagram claimed that not getting vaccinated against the coronavirus makes a person 100% safe from adverse reactions and 99.8% safe from COVID.

The claim appears to conflate the total survival rate of the virus in the world with an individuals chance of survival.

The COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be safe and effective in reducing a persons risk of infection and hospitalization from the virus. Positive cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been fueled by the unvaccinated. This trend has continued even as omicron has spread.

The claim does contain an element of truth. By not getting vaccinated against COVID-19, a person does have a 100% chance of being safe from adverse reactions associated with those vaccines. However, developing a serious adverse reaction is rare. And serious health effects related to COVID-19 infection are more common.

We rate this claim Mostly False.

Tampa Bay: The Times can help you find the free, public COVID-19 testing sites in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties.

Florida: The Department of Health has a website that lists testing sites in the state. Some information may be out of date.

The U.S.: The Department of Health and Human Services has a website that can help you find a testing site.

The COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5 and up and booster shots for eligible recipients are being administered at doctors offices, clinics, pharmacies, grocery stores and public vaccination sites. Many allow appointments to be booked online. Heres how to find a site near you:

Find a site: Visit vaccines.gov to find vaccination sites in your zip code.

More help: Call the National COVID-19 Vaccination Assistance Hotline.

Phone: 800-232-0233. Help is available in English, Spanish and other languages.

TTY: 888-720-7489

Disability Information and Access Line: Call 888-677-1199 or email DIAL@n4a.org.

KIDS AND VACCINES: Got questions about vaccinating your kid? Here are some answers.

BOOSTER SHOTS: Confused about which COVID booster to get? This guide will help.

BOOSTER QUESTIONS: Are there side effects? Why do I need it? Heres the answers to your questions.

PROTECTING SENIORS: Heres how seniors can stay safe from the virus.

GET THE DAYSTARTER MORNING UPDATE: Sign up to receive the most up-to-date information.

Were working hard to bring you the latest news on the coronavirus in Florida. This effort takes a lot of resources to gather and update. If you havent already subscribed, please consider buying a print or digital subscription.

More here:

No, declining the COVID-19 vaccine wont make you 99.8% safe from the virus - Tampa Bay Times