Please note!

This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Are experts challenging a study claiming that unvaccinated children are healthier than those who have been vaccinated?

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

By Eric Smith

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YES

A fact-checking website, Health Feedback, found that a study comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated children used unvalidated metrics and introduced its authors' biases into its conclusion. The authors did not account for the differences in background and behaviors between vaccinated and unvaccinated children. The study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, sought to support a claim that unvaccinated children are healthier than vaccinated children.

Oregon has suspended the medical license of one of the study's authors for “gross and repeated negligence” after he created an alternative vaccine schedule for his patients that omitted and reduced the frequency of vaccines.

U.S. health authorities consider vaccines to be safe and effective, and recommend all children receive vaccinations in consultation of medical professionals.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Health Feedback: Study on vaccinated and unvaccinated children used a dubious metric for comparing disease incidence in both groups

Oregon Medical Board: Order suspending Thomas's medical license

Department of Health and Human Services: Vaccine safety

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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About fact briefs published on Gigafact

Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.