The Claim:
A tweet presents a video claiming that hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin were effective COVID-19 treatments that were not approved to treat COVID-19 because their approval would have made it illegal for the COVID-19 vaccines to receive emergency use authorization.
The Facts:
There are two problems with this claim. Let’s look at each of them in turn.
First, the claim draws a false equivalency between vaccinations and medications. Vaccines are a preventative measure used to protect people from contracting a disease. Medications (like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin) are treatments that cannot be used until after someone becomes sick with a disease. The FDA does state that a EUA may be declared “when there are no adequate, approved, and available alternatives.” Because a vaccine is preventive and Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine are not, the approval of the two medications would not have banned the vaccine from emergency use authorization by the FDA.
Second, this claim is founded on the belief that hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin are effective treatments for COVID-19. But they are not. Studies of both medications have failed to demonstrate that either medication is effective to treat COVID-19.
Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.
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