No evidence COVID vaccine contains pork, causes infertility - report
An open letter signed by more than 70 medical doctors sought to quash conspiracy theories circulating that the vaccine contains products that are non-kosher.
By GADI ZAIGUpdated: JULY 19, 2021 00:44An illustrative photo of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Jewish doctors warned against conspiracy theories claiming the COVID-19 vaccine causes infertility or contains products derived from pork. Jewish News reported on Friday that the open letter, signed by more than 70 British-Jewish doctors and published on Tuesday, warns against falling for such conspiracy theories and states there is “absolutely no evidence” the Pfizer vaccine contains any non-kosher ingredients.The letter was initiated by Dr. Sam Freeman of the University College London Hospital, who said he hoped at least 100 medical doctors would sign the letter by the end of the year.The letter states that UK medical doctors "feel obliged to address some rumors surrounding the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine circulating in the Jewish community. We do this as a public service in an attempt to prevent illness, and potentially to save lives.“A rumor that the vaccine causes infertility is particularly prevalent in Jewish circles, yet there is no evidence behind it," the letter states.It added that “we live in a time when misinformation is increasingly common. Rumors spread quickly, and social media has played a significant contribution in this. We urge people to stop spreading rumors and instead, consult those working in healthcare with an ability to appraise scientific evidence."According to the letter, "widespread uptake of the vaccine will prevent illness and lead to lives saved by protecting people from catching COVID-19, and prevent hospitals from becoming overburdened.”The letter warns that some people may not be suitable for the vaccine as a result of other conditions – while others may be able to take the UK-led vaccine that was "jointly developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which was approved on Wednesday."The letter urges people to consider the benefits of having the vaccine against the risks that may come with it, as the letter states that "those aged over 80 years old, for every 20 people who get COVID-19, at least one person will die.”Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine was the first to receive approval for emergency use from both the FDA and the WHO and is currently in the process of being rolled out in the UK. In Israel, over a million citizens have already received the first dose of Pfizer's vaccine.
