November 14, 2021 - If you have ever been asked to justify your stance against vaccination with scientific studies and drew a blank, you might be relieved to discover that considerable science-based evidence exists to support a rational position questioning the effectiveness of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines. A far-from-exhaustive sampling of the scientific literature covering various topics regarding COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness appears below. Each entry in the list includes the publication title, lead researcher, publication year and a relevant synopsis for each piece. The title in red also contains a link to the original publication that you can conveniently click on to read the entire abstract and find out how to access the full paper. Please feel welcome to link any additional studies you come across in the Comments section.
1) No Significant Difference in Viral Load Between Vaccinated and Unvaccinated, Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Groups When Infected with SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant. Acharya, 2021.
This paper “Found no significant difference in cycle threshold values between vaccinated and unvaccinated, asymptomatic and symptomatic groups infected with SARS-CoV-2 Delta.”
2) a) Vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals have similar viral loads in communities with a high prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant. Riemersma, 2021.
"We find no difference in viral loads when comparing unvaccinated individuals to those who have vaccine “breakthrough” infections. Furthermore, individuals with vaccine breakthrough infections frequently test positive with viral loads consistent with the ability to shed infectious viruses. Our results, while preliminary, suggest that if vaccinated individuals become infected with the delta variant, they may be sources of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to others."
b) Shedding of Infectious SARS-CoV-2 Despite Vaccination when the Delta Variant is Prevalent. Wisconsin, July 2021. This study's “data substantiate the idea that vaccinated individuals who become infected with the Delta variant may have the potential to transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others.”
3) Comparing SARS-CoV-2 natural immunity to vaccine-induced immunity: reinfections versus breakthrough infections. Gazit, 2021.
Researchers found that, “Natural immunity confers longer-lasting and stronger protection against infection, symptomatic disease and hospitalization caused by the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, compared to the BNT162b2 two-dose vaccine-induced immunity… SARS-CoV-2-naïve vaccines had a 13.06-fold (95% CI, 8.08 to 21.11) increased risk for breakthrough infection with the Delta variant compared to those previously infected.” The study also identified a 27 fold increased risk of symptomatic COVID and 8 fold increased risk of hospitalization (vaccinated over unvaccinated).
4) Effectiveness of Covid-19 Vaccination Against Risk of Symptomatic Infection, Hospitalization, and Death Up to 9 Months: A Swedish Total-Population Cohort Study. Nordström, 2021.
This study showed that in a cohort that comprised 842,974 pairs (N=1,684,958), including individuals vaccinated with 2 doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, mRNA-1273, or BNT162b2, and matched unvaccinated individuals, the “vaccine effectiveness of BNT162b2 against infection waned progressively from 92% (95% CI, 92-93, P<0·001) at day 15-30 to 47% (95% CI, 39-55, P<0·001) at day 121-180, and from day 211 and onwards no effectiveness could be detected (23%; 95% CI, -2-41, P=0·07)”. While the study showed the vaccine provided temporary protection against infection, it highlighted that the vaccine's efficacy declines below zero and then into negative efficacy territory at approximately 7 months, thereby underscoring that the vaccinated are highly susceptible to infection and eventually become highly infected to a point even greater than the unvaccinated.
5) Waning of BNT162b2 vaccine protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in Qatar. Chemaitelly, 2021.
A Qatar study that showed Pfizer vaccine efficacy declined to near zero by 5 to 6-months and that even the degree of immediate protection after one to two months was largely exaggerated. Researchers stated: "BNT162b2-induced protection against infection appears to wane rapidly after its peak right after the second dose.”
6) Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Among Vaccinated Healthcare Workers, Vietnam. Chao, 2021.
This study looked at the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant among vaccinated healthcare workers in Vietnam. A group of 69 healthcare workers tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, while 62 participated in the clinical study. Researchers reported that “23 complete-genome sequences were obtained. They all belonged to the Delta variant and were phylogenetically distinct from the contemporary Delta variant sequences obtained from community transmission cases, suggestive of ongoing transmission between the workers. Viral loads of breakthrough Delta variant infection cases were 251 times higher than those of cases infected with old strains detected between March-April 2020.”
This CDC MMWR study found that in 469 cases of COVID-19, there were 74% that occurred in fully vaccinated persons, noting that, “The vaccinated had on average more virus in their nose than the unvaccinated who were infected.” 8) An outbreak caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) in a secondary care hospital in Finland, May 2021. Hetemäki, 2021.
This study's researchers concluded that “this outbreak demonstrated that, despite full vaccination and universal masking of HCW, breakthrough infections by the Delta variant via symptomatic and asymptomatic HCW occurred, causing nosocomial infections." They also noted that, "secondary transmission occurred from those with symptomatic infections despite the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).”
9) Nosocomial outbreak caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in a highly vaccinated population, Israel, July 2021. Shitrit, 2021
Researchers found that “The PPE and masks were essentially ineffective in the healthcare setting. The index cases were usually fully vaccinated and most (if not all transmission) tended to occur between patients and staff who were masked and fully vaccinated, underscoring the high transmission of the Delta variant among vaccinated and masked persons." They also concluded that, "this nosocomial outbreak exemplifies the high transmissibility of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant among twice vaccinated and masked individuals.”
10) COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report Week 42. PHE, 2021, Report # 44: PHE. Information on page 23 raises serious concerns when it reported that “waning of the N antibody response over time and (iii) recent observations from UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) surveillance data that N antibody levels appear to be lower in individuals who acquire infection following 2 doses of vaccination.” The report also shows a pronounced and very troubling trend, which is that the “double vaccinated persons are showing greater infection (per 100,000) than the unvaccinated, and especially in the older age groups e.g. 30 years and above.”
Reported that, “Six months after receipt of the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine, the humoral response was substantially decreased, especially among men, among persons 65 years of age or older, and among persons with immunosuppression.”
12) Increases in COVID-19 are unrelated to levels of vaccination across 68 countries and 2947 counties in the United States. Subramanian, 2021.
Found that, “Increases in COVID-19 are unrelated to levels of vaccination across 68 countries and 2947 counties in the United States.” 13) Durability of immune responses to the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. Suthar, 2021. Reported that researchers, “Examined the durability of immune responses to the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. They “analyzed antibody responses to the homologous Wu strain as well as several variants of concern, including the emerging Mu (B.1.621) variant, and T cell responses in a subset of these volunteers at six months (day 210 post-primary vaccination) after the second dose …“data demonstrate a substantial waning of antibody responses and T cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, at 6 months following the second immunization with the BNT162b2 vaccine.”
14) Infection-enhancing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies recognize both the original Wuhan/D614G strain and Delta variants. A potential risk for mass vaccination? Yahi, 2021 Reported that, “in the case of the Delta variant, neutralizing antibodies have a decreased affinity for the spike protein, whereas facilitating antibodies display a strikingly increased affinity. Thus, ADE may be a concern for people receiving vaccines based on the original Wuhan strain spike sequence (either mRNA or viral vectors).” 15) Hospitalisation among vaccine breakthrough COVID-19 infections. Juthani, 2021.
Identified 969 patients who were admitted to a Yale-New Haven Health System hospital with a confirmed positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2. Researchers “Observed a higher number of patients with severe or critical illness in those who received the BNT162b2 vaccine than in those who received mRNA-1273 or Ad.26.COV2.S.”
Researchers “Examined the impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on Alpha & Delta variant transmission. They reported that “while vaccination still lowers the risk of infection, similar viral loads in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals infected with Delta question how much vaccination prevents onward transmission… transmission reductions declined over time since second vaccination, for Delta reaching similar levels to unvaccinated individuals by 12 weeks for ChAdOx1 and attenuating substantially for BNT162b2. Protection from vaccination in contacts also declined in the 3 months after second vaccination…vaccination reduces transmission of Delta, but by less than the Alpha variant.”
17) SARS-CoV-2 Infection after Vaccination in Health Care Workers in California. Keehner, 2021.
Researchers “Reported on the resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a highly vaccinated health system workforce. Vaccination with mRNA vaccines began in mid-December 2020; by March, 76% of the workforce had been fully vaccinated, and by July, the percentage had risen to 87%. Infections had decreased dramatically by early February 2021… “coincident with the end of California’s mask mandate on June 15 and the rapid dominance of the B.1.617.2 (delta) variant that first emerged in mid-April and accounted for over 95% of UCSDH isolates by the end of July, infections increased rapidly, including cases among fully vaccinated persons…researchers reported that the “dramatic change in vaccine effectiveness from June to July is likely to be due to both the emergence of the delta variant and waning immunity over time.” 18) Community transmission and viral load kinetics of the SARS-CoV-2 delta (B.1.617.2) variant in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in the UK: a prospective, longitudinal, cohort study. Singanayagam, 2021 This study “Examined the transmission and viral load kinetics in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals with mild delta variant infection in the community. They found that (in 602 community contacts (identified via the UK contract-tracing system) of 471 UK COVID-19 index cases were recruited to the Assessment of Transmission and Contagiousness of COVID-19 in Contacts cohort study and contributed 8145 upper respiratory tract samples from daily sampling for up to 20 days) “vaccination reduces the risk of delta variant infection and accelerates viral clearance. Nonetheless, fully vaccinated individuals with breakthrough infections have peak viral load similar to unvaccinated cases and can efficiently transmit infection in household settings, including to fully vaccinated contacts.” 19) Waning Immunity after the BNT162b2 Vaccine in Israel. Goldberg, 2021.
Researchers found that “Immunity against the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 waned in all age groups a few months after receipt of the second dose of vaccine.” 20) Viral loads of Delta-variant SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections after vaccination and booster with BNT162b2. Levine-Tiefenbrun, 2021.
This study found that the viral load reduction effectiveness declines with time after vaccination, noting that it was “significantly decreasing at 3 months after vaccination and effectively vanishing after about 6 months.” 21) Comparison of two highly-effective mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 during periods of Alpha and Delta variant prevalence. Puranik, 2021. Reported that, “In July, vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization has remained high (mRNA-1273: 81%, 95% CI: 33–96.3%; BNT162b2: 75%, 95% CI: 24–93.9%), but effectiveness against infection was lower for both vaccines (mRNA-1273: 76%, 95% CI: 58–87%; BNT162b2: 42%, 95% CI: 13–62%), with a more pronounced reduction for BNT162b2.” 22) Live virus neutralization testing in convalescent patients and subjects vaccinated against 19A, 20B, 20I/501Y.V1 and 20H/501Y.V2 isolates of SARS-CoV-2. Saade, 2021.
This study “Assessed the neutralizing capacity of antibodies to prevent cell infection, using a live virus neutralization test with different strains [19A (initial one), 20B (B.1.1.241 lineage), 20I/501Y.V1 (B.1.1.7 lineage), and 20H/501Y.V2 (B.1.351 lineage)] in serum samples collected from different populations: two-dose vaccinated COVID-19-naive healthcare workers (HCWs; Pfizer-BioNTech BNT161b2), 6-months post mild COVID-19 HCWs, and critical COVID-19 patients." It found a "reduced neutralizing response observed towards the 20H/501Y.V2 variant in fully immunized subjects with the BNT162b2 vaccine by comparison to the wild type and 20I/501Y.V1 variant.”
23) Significant reduction in humoral immunity among healthcare workers and nursing home residents 6 months after COVID-19 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination. Canaday, 2021.
The study reported that “Anti-spike, anti-RBD and neutralization levels dropped more than 84% over 6 months’ time in all groups irrespective of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. At 6 months post-vaccine, 70% of the infection-naive NH residents had neutralization titers at or below the lower limit of detection compared to 16% at 2 weeks after full vaccination. These data demonstrate a significant reduction in levels of antibody in all groups. In particular, those infection-naive NH residents had lower initial post-vaccination humoral immunity immediately and exhibited the greatest declines 6 months later.”
24) Large-scale study of antibody titer decay following BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine or SARS-CoV-2 infection. Israel, 2021.
The study aimed “To determine the kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies following administration of two doses of BNT162b2 vaccine, or SARS-CoV-2 infection in unvaccinated individuals." It found that "In vaccinated subjects, antibody titers decreased by up to 40% each subsequent month while in convalescents they decreased by less than 5% per month. Six months after BNT162b2 vaccination 16.1% of subjects had antibody levels below the seropositivity threshold of <50 AU/mL, while only 10.8% of convalescent patients were below <50 AU/mL threshold after 9 months from SARS-CoV-2 infection.”
25) The longitudinal kinetics of antibodies in COVID-19 recovered patients over 14 months. Eyran, 2020.
The study “Found a significantly faster decay in naïve vaccinees compared to recovered patients suggesting that the serological memory following natural infection is more robust compared to vaccination. Our data highlights the differences between serological memory induced by natural infection vs. vaccination.”
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