You hear antivaxers use "VAERS" a lot

[AntivaxHunters]

Well guess what?
VAERS is NOT a reliable source as it's basically the Wikipedia of healthcare.
And now, a friend of ours has put together what's been named.....ready? ....drum roll please....

Presenting The Batshit Crazy VAERS Adverse Event Clearinghouse! LINK

Featuring the top hits of the antivax movement including these gems---

* "Man catches homophobia from vaccine"

* "My penis swelled to ten times it's size"

* "Patient concerned about getting flu vaccine because last year he got a spontaneous erection that lasted three minutes"

* "84 year old woman claims vaccine made her shrink"

* "I first noticed blood in my semen the day after the injection. I have noticed it every time I masturbated since, including this afternoon"

* "His balls hurt so goddamn bad. The tip was in pain. Couldn't piss. Cured it by drinking milk"

* "Moderna gave her herpes"

[leftstreet]

1. Why is this on DU?

[Effete Snob]

3. Because antivaxxers throw it around

It could use more fleshing out.

You will see antivaxxers on social media spouting off about the "CDC's OWN VAERS SYSTEM" reporting all kinds of vaccination horrors.

However, the VAERS system itself has become like one of those petitions that attracts Haywood Jablome and Deez Nuts as signatories.

Confronted with the antivaxxer's misuse of VAERS, there may be some people who don't understand that it is a collection of "stuff anyone wrote".

[Nevilledog]

21. Ron Johnson is pushing this VAERS stuff

Link to tweet

Of course, even his chart shows more people died from taking Tylenol

[Effete Snob]

35. So is someone in this thread, apparently

[bbernardini]

4. Probably because anti-vaxxers like to point to VAERS as proof that vaccines are killing people.

When, in fact, anybody can put just about anything in there. It's proof of nothing.

[Effete Snob]

23. Yeah, you can't tear the mattress tags off either, but....

"Also, CDC reviews all reports - so any duplicates or lies get deleted."

That is simply not true.


https://wonder.cdc.gov/vaers.html

"The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) database contains information on unverified reports of adverse events (illnesses, health problems and/or symptoms) following immunization with US-licensed vaccines. Reports are accepted from anyone and can be submitted electronically at www.vaers.hhs.gov."


The Moderna vaccine will not make your penis grow three inches in a week.

[NickB79]

27. I've pointed this out to her as well over the years, multiple times

Yet she keeps outright lying about it, and defending inappropriate use if VAERS

At this point it's pretty clear what her agenda is, and discrediting VAERS reports goes against that agenda.

[womanofthehills]

32. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) Questios and Answers from fDA

Possible Outcomes of Reporting to VAERS
How are VAERS reports analyzed?

Analyzing VAERS reports is a complex task. Both FDA and CDC review data reported to VAERS. FDA reviews reports to assess whether a reported event is adequately reflected in the Emergency Use Authorization prescribing information, or product labeling for licensed (approved) vaccines. In addition, FDA closely monitors reporting trends for individual vaccine lots.

Can information reported to VAERS lead to FDA actions?

Based on information reported to VAERS and/or other systems in place to monitor vaccine safety, FDA may undertake a number of regulatory actions. These could include changes to the vaccine labeling, Fact Sheets, communications to the public and healthcare providers, or requiring the manufacturer to conduct additional studies.

Will I be contacted by VAERS after submitting a report?

You will be contacted by VAERS if follow-up information (e.g., medical records or other medical documentation) is needed. Please be aware that not everyone who submits a report is contacted and there may be a delay of when someone is contacted.
https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/vaccine-adverse-events/vaccine-adverse-event-reporting-system-vaers-questions-and-answers

[NickB79]

43. So, point out where it says they'll delete bad information

Because it only says they'll contact you about adverse effects to follow up. If you don't give consent to remove the report, they can't by law remove it on their own.

[Effete Snob]

34. Does MIRT know about this?

[womanofthehills]

38. This is from the FDA website - your government website.

[Effete Snob]

39. That's not really the point

The requirement that the President be a natural born citizen is in the US Constitution too.

But that's not really relevant to the Obama birther conspiracy crap, now is it?

VAERS is the wikipedia of health databases. It has been demonstrated to you that it contains ridiculous and false information, and there is a cottage industry engaged in filling it with more shit than anyone can police or followup on.

The fact that it is illegal is no more interesting than the fact that you cannot exceed the speed limit on a US interstate highway either.

I have NEVER been on a US interstate highway where people were observing the speed limit.

So, sure, you can post "The speed limit is 65" all day long, but people are going faster than 70 all day long out there and you know it.

[womanofthehills]

36. I don't run VAERS - the government does

Maybe you need to write to CDC , FDA and the Dept of Health to come up with a better reporting system.

[NickB79]

42. Do you think they ever investigated pregnant women exposed to vaccinated people?

Remember when certain people were pushing this conspiracy theory last year, right here on DU, that being around vaccinated people was magically irradiating pregnant women with mysterious vaccine emissions and causing miscarriages? I mean , you DO remember that, right?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/04/27/fact-check-exposure-vaccinated-person-wont-cause-miscarriage/7303796002/

[womanofthehills]

29. From FDA

Knowingly filing a false VAERS report is a violation of Federal law (18 U.S. Code § 1001) punishable by fine and imprisonment.

https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html

[Effete Snob]

33. LOL

Smoking weed is also a violation of federal law.

18 USC 1001 is a catchall provision for providing false information to the US government generally. It is not specific to VAERS. There are a zillion contexts in which it is not policed or enforced.

At this point, you are simply pushing a right wing talking point.

Moderna doesn't make anyone's penis grow three inches in a week, sorry.

You know what else was illegal? Birthers using the E-Verify service to check Barack Obama's social security number that was inadvertently revealed.

There are a ton of government e-services that are routinely abused. VAERS is one of them.

[womanofthehills]

40. Write to the CDC, FDA - tell them to make a better reporting system.

Just saying something exhists is not a right wing talking point. I didn’t start this thread - people who had no knowledge of what the initials stand for wanted to know.

[Effete Snob]

41. Oh bullshit

You are making the argument that it should be considered reliable, which is antivaxxer bullshit.

It is not policed, because there are not the resources to do so for a system that has been overwhelmed with trolls, and the CDC is not going to get a better budget because I write to them.

You are pushing a right wing talking point, and you are doing it purposefully.

[AntivaxHunters]

22. Because...

Because antivaxers are a predominantly right wing movement who's actions are drastically impacting all of our lives in a very profound way.

We're all in this together & many of our group, myself included, along with members of Democratic Underground (I'd wager a bet) have lost loved ones, friends, family, spouses to Covid. And I'd also wager a bet many here know someone who's close who's an antivaxer too.

[ARPad95]

2. "Moderna gave her herpes"

Last edited Tue Jan 4, 2022, 03:29 PM - Edit history (2)

I'd guess she had been infected with herpes sometime in her past and vaccination caused it to reactivate. In other words, vaccination did NOT give her herpes.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jdv.17646

Although the precise mechanism is not known, herpesvirus reactivation may occur due to innate- or cell-mediated immune defense failures initiated by the host response to vaccination.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is in the herpes family of viruses* and most adults were infected with it previously (as early as young childhood). It lies dormant in the body and may reactivate whenever the immune system is suppressed or compromised.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8157/

General Biology of Human Herpesviruses

Of the more than 100 known herpesviruses, 8 routinely infect only humans: herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus 6 (variants A and B), human herpesvirus 7, and Kaposi's sarcoma virus or human herpesvirus 8. A simian virus, called B virus, occasionally infects humans. All herpesviruses can establish latent infection within specific tissues, which are characteristic for each virus.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23611298/

Herpesviruses and the microbiome

Abstract

The focus of this article will be to examine the role of common herpesviruses as a component of the microbiome of atopic patients and to review clinical observations suggesting that atopic patients might be predisposed to more severe and atypical herpes-related illness because their immune response is biased toward a TH2 cytokine profile. Human populations are infected with 8 herpesviruses, including herpes simplex virus HSV1 and HSV2 (also termed HHV1 and HHV2), varicella zoster virus (VZV or HHV3), EBV (HHV4), cytomegalovirus (HHV5), HHV6, HHV7, and Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (termed KSV or HHV8). Herpesviruses are highly adapted to lifelong infection of their human hosts and thus can be considered a component of the human "microbiome" in addition to their role in illness triggered by primary infection.

[genxlib]

6. Or maybe

She picked it up somewhere she wasn't supposed to be and the vaccine was easier than explaining the truth.

Similar to this story https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/16/americas/nicki-minaj-vaccine-story-false-scli-intl/index.html

[ARPad95]

7. Yup! They're so good at floating down the river of DENIAL.

[lindysalsagal]

5. No surprise the idiots BS is all sexual. I'm ready to directly infect these morons with covid

and get it overwith.

[PatSeg]

18. Yes, that does seem to be a trend with right-wingers

[keithbvadu2]

8. Masks too

[ARPad95]

9. Probably one of those masks that bear a striking resemblance to woman's panties.

In this case "used" panties. Cheryl's husband is a "cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater!"

[Wuddles440]

15. Pretty safe bet...

that she flunked all her classes in spelling along with science. Yikes!

[ARPad95]

11. Vaccine Adverse

[womanofthehills]

14. VAERS - Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System

Government reporting what VAERS is

Established in 1990, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is a national early warning system to detect possible safety problems in U.S.-licensed vaccines. VAERS is co-managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). VAERS accepts and analyzes reports of adverse events (possible side effects) after a person has received a vaccination. Anyone can report an adverse event to VAERS. Healthcare professionals are required to report certain adverse events and vaccine manufacturers are required to report all adverse events that come to their attention.


VAERS is a passive reporting system, meaning it relies on individuals to send in reports of their experiences to CDC and FDA. VAERS is not designed to determine if a vaccine caused a health problem, but is especially useful for detecting unusual or unexpected patterns of adverse event reporting that might indicate a possible safety problem with a vaccine. This way, VAERS can provide CDC and FDA with valuable information that additional work and evaluation is necessary to further assess a possible safety concern.

VAERS is co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). https://vaers.hhs.gov/about.html

[Torchlight]

16. Anti-vaxxers are to science what trump was to politics.

Out of their depth, out of their league and out of their minds-- but very popular in the idiot-world of the nutter and conspiracy crowds.

[jmowreader]

17. 1727402 is the best one

"Penis grew three inches in a week."

They should publicize that. The demand for vaccination would grow exponentially.

[PatSeg]

19. Welcome to DU!

[AntivaxHunters]

25. Thank you

Stay safe out there

[PatSeg]

28. Thanks, I'm staying inside!

[BlackSkimmer]

20. Never heard this in my life.

Maybe because I don’t know any anti-vaxxers? i

[Wounded Bear]

24. VAERS is not as reliable as Wikipedia...

VAERS is unedited open source reporting. Wikipedia at least has editors that will fact check entries that get reported.

[AntivaxHunters]

26. Fair

[Wounded Bear]

31. Have a couple of anti-vax VAERS fans on another site I frequent...

I had to block one of them because of the boredom of the same bad stats and claims.

[Effete Snob]

37. We have one here

[BlueIdaho]

30. My best friend's sister's

boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with a girl who saw Ferris pass-out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it’s pretty serious.