Summarised by Centrist
A CDC-led study revealed that children under 5 who received Pfizer’s COVID vaccine were more likely to contract symptomatic COVID than unvaccinated children with natural immunity.
While the study, published in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, didn’t highlight this finding in its conclusion, the data showed vaccinated children had a 191% higher risk of symptomatic infection compared to their unvaccinated peers.
Experts like immunologist Dr Hooman Noorchashm said the study “definitively proves” natural immunity is stronger than vaccine-induced immunity. Epidemiologist Nicolas Hulscher criticised the vaccines, stating they “do the opposite of what they’re supposed to do.”
The study also showed unvaccinated children with prior COVID infection had significantly lower risks of reinfection and symptomatic disease.
Critics, including former Harvard professor Dr Martin Kulldorff, argue the findings challenge vaccine recommendations, particularly for children, given their low risk of severe outcomes.
The study’s authors acknowledged limitations, including sample size and potential biases, but the findings align with earlier studies suggesting increased risk of infection with multiple vaccine doses.
Some experts called for a moratorium on mRNA vaccines for children, citing the urgent need for further research into the relationship between vaccination and infection susceptibility.
Dr Noorchashm urged halting paediatric COVID vaccinations until more is understood, while others demanded greater transparency in public health research.
