The Claim:
A video featuring RFK Jr. in August 2020 purports to show him predicting the future, as he discusses how he thought the COVID vaccine would be oversold and followed by a period of tempering expectations.
The Facts:
Was it prophetic to warn that the vaccine would lose effectiveness over time? Not when you understand how vaccines work.
When the COVID vaccine first came out, it had a high efficacy. Over time, the virus mutated and protection waned, so efficacy against mild disease dropped. We know that while our antibodies wane, our T cells last far longer, meaning that the virus might start replicating in our system even months after we have been vaccinated, but our memory cells will enter the fight and keep us out of the hospital and out of serious danger from the disease.
None of this was much of a prediction, given that two months before RFK Jr. recorded that video, the FDA explained that it “would expect that a COVID-19 vaccine would prevent disease or decrease its severity in at least 50% of people who are vaccinated.”
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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