The era of technology that we live in is golden; access to incredibly useful information is just beneath your fingertips. Dare I say, information that otherwise would not be occupying a part of your brain because, let’s face it, no one’s got time to check an encyclopaedia every time a ‘why?’ question comes to mind. Of course, good things come with the bad, and just like everything in life, the internet is a double-edged sword which can easily harm you of you’re not careful. But do not fear, as I’m here to tell you what you need to look out for in an era when disinformation is just as accessible.
For the last week, the topic of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been trending all over social media. The reason why there is a sudden spotlight on the little jab that saved millions and millions of people’s lives is not entirely pleasing. To put it simply, rumour has it that…
The Pfizer vaccine ‘supposedly’ causes hepatitis in children. Emphasis on supposedly.
While paediatric hepatitis cases are not unheard of, the latest figures presented by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are atypical – and mostly inexplicable. Some might even say a medical mystery. Though, it is highly debatable that the rise is a direct consequence of the Pfizer vaccine.
Hepatitis is, essentially, the inflammation of the liver. It can be as severe as requiring a liver transplant. The latest reports show a total of 145 child hepatitis cases in the UK: 108 in England, 17 in Scotland, 11 in Wales and 9 in Northern Ireland. The vast majority of the children are under ten years of age. The most concerning aspect of this situation is not the numbers, but the severity of the disease in these young, otherwise healthy children – the organ transplant data for paediatric hepatitis is far higher than what has typically seen over similar periods in previous years.
Therefore, this begs the question – is the rise in child hepatitis cases actually linked to the COVID-19 vaccine?
Short answer: no.
Long answer: the WHO (World Health Organisation) has stated that the majority of the children affected by hepatitis in the UK have not yet been vaccinated. The average age affected by the hepatitis outbreak is three. This age group is not eligible for vaccination in the UK.
Correlation does not mean causation (which also happens to be my go-to answer to data analysis questions in my Biology papers). Biomedical scientists around the world are still conducting studies on what other factors could have suggested this so-called ‘pattern’ between the hepatitis numbers and vaccinated children’s data.
An example to an alternative – and much more likely – explanation illustrates adenoviruses as a possible cause – the 41F strain, to be exact. Adenoviruses are essentially a group of very common viruses that infect the lining of your eyes, airways and lungs, intestines, and nervous system – especially common amongst children. In a study conducted by the UKHSA, it was found that 75 percent of the children with hepatitis also had adenovirus, whereas only 16 percent tested positive for COVID. The study also marks an increase of adenovirus infections in the 1-4 age group – exact age range affected by the sudden hepatitis outbreak.
On the other hand, the World Health Organisation has stated while adenovirus is proving itself to be the most likely underlying cause, “it does not fully explain the severity of the clinical picture.” WHO proceeds by emphasising the need for further investigation before any conclusions can be reached confidently. Another study carried out on rats found a relatively high concentration of lipid particles detected in the liver following the Pfizer vaccination; although it must be kept in mind that the rats had received a Pfizer injection with approximately 18-35 times higher lipid nanoparticle amount than the typical adult human dose.
Back to the short answer: no. As it currently stands, with relation to research done by the WHO and the UKHSA, there is no evidence to suggest that the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine correlates to the increase of hepatitis in children.
One thing to absolutely take away from this article is to be smart and to not allow information to be spoon-fed to you. Always ask questions and never take information for granted. Be independent freethinkers who question baseless arguments.
Sources:
- Child hepatitis cases falsely linked to Covid vaccine. (2022). BBC News. [online] 29 Apr. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-61242471?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA [Accessed 30 Apr. 2022].
- Hull, D.C.W., University of and Phoutinane, K. (2022). More UK child hepatitis cases reported as expert answers parents’ questions.
- Health Feedback. (2021). COVID-19 vaccines don’t affect ovaries or fertility in general; the vaccines are highly effective at preventing illness and death. [online] Available at: https://healthfeedback.org/claimreview/covid-19-vaccines-dont-affect-ovaries-or-fertility-in-general-the-vaccines-are-highly-effective-at-preventing-illness-and-death/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20human%20vaccine [Accessed 30 Apr. 2022].
- www.cdc.gov. (2020). Adenovirus | Home | CDC. [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/adenovirus/index.html.
- admin (n.d.). Child hepatitis cases falsely linked to Covid vaccine |. [online] Available at: https://princetoncouncil.org/child-hepatitis-cases-falsely-linked-to-covid-vaccine/ [Accessed 30 Apr. 2022].
- 161385360554578 (2022). What is the 41F adenovirus that could be causing cases of hepatitis in children? [online] The Sun. Available at: https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/18376783/what-adenovirus-causing-cases-hepatitis-children/ [Accessed 30 Apr. 2022].
