Myth is the nothing that is everything.
Fernando Pessoa, poet and writer (1888-1935)
On the 23rd, one month will be completed since the start of the seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccination campaign. In the 2024-2025 season, 2.4 million flu vaccines and 1.6 million COVID-19 vaccines were administered. This year, the good start is confirmed, but there remains a relevant difference in the number of doses administered of the two vaccines, aggravated, in part, by myths that have no scientific basis.
The first myth is associated with the idea that vaccination is no longer necessary with the end of the pandemic. The influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses continue to evolve, making previous vaccines outdated. The concept of seasonal reinforcement is crucial for both diseases, working in a similar way to periodic updates to computer programs or cell phone operating systems. Recently, a study involving almost 300,000 American veterans reinforced the importance of seasonal vaccination, proving the usefulness and safety of boosters.
The second myth concerns, precisely, the safety of vaccines. Several studies published in leading scientific journals, such as Nature ea JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), with tens of millions of participants followed for 1 to 2 years, demonstrated a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular events in those vaccinated. Regarding cancer, the evidence is very reassuring. Despite this, a recent study carried out in South Korea, with just one year of follow-up, has been unduly publicized, which associates vaccination with an increased risk of thyroid, colorectal, lung and breast cancer. However, this study presents serious methodological flaws, such as the inexplicable rapidity in the emergence of complaints, medical consultations, diagnostic tests and biopsy results in less than 2-3 months after taking the vaccine. These deadlines are incompatible with scientific knowledge. It is worth remembering that, after nuclear exposures such as those in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in 1945, and Chernobyl, in 1986, the minimum latency period for the development of solid tumors was greater than 5-10 years. Suggesting that vaccines have a more carcinogenic effect than an atomic bomb is absurd, to say the least.
Finally, the European Medicines Agency approved new vaccines against COVID-19 with a different technology than messenger RNA and, necessarily, a different safety profile. These vaccines, now available with medical prescription, are useful in the very rare situations of adverse events resulting from previous vaccines. Furthermore, as they are produced entirely in Spain, they contribute to reducing strategic dependence on Europe. And, in our country, this dependence is not a myth, but a worrying reality.
Doctorate in Public Health
Member of the National Public Health Council