Misinterpreted science

The final part of the Parents PACK newsletter series, “No. This study does not prove what you think it does,” was recently published. The third supplement focused on how scientific findings can be misunderstood or misrepresented using four published papers as examples:

  • Ricke DO. Two different antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) risks for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Front Immunol. 2021 Feb 24;12:640093.
  • Lyons-Weiler J. Pathogenic priming likely contributes to serious and critical illness and mortality in COVID-19 via autoimmunity. J Transl Autoimmun. 2020 Apr 9;3:100051.
  • Alden M, Falla FO, Yang D, et al. Intracellular reverse transcription of Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 in vitro in human liver. Current Issues in Molecular Biology. 2022;44(3):1115-26. 
  • Chia PY, Ong SWX, Chiew CJ, et al. Virological and serological kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant vaccine breakthrough infections: a multicentre cohort study. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2022 Apr;28(4):612.e1-612.e7.

For each paper, the article offers a brief summary, describes the misconception, and classifies the type of misinterpretation.

New videos focus on diseases

Recently, we created a new video series in which Dr. Offit talks with CHOP doctors, Dr. Anjuli Gans and Dr. Katie Lockwood. The series focuses on diseases that are vaccine preventable with the goal of offering parents and other viewers information about diseases they likely have never seen because vaccines have made them less common.

The first two videos are now available for viewing:

Find out more about the series, “Doctors Talk Diseases,” including which other disease-specific videos will be produced, or check out the YouTube playlist.

Last chance! Essay contest reminder

Please remind the middle and high school students in your life to finish up their entries for the 2022 Maurice R. Hilleman Essay Contest. Essays must be submitted online or postmarked by June 10, 2022.

The writing prompt for this year is: “Maurice Hilleman was a determined scientist. Describe what this means and provide an example of determination in science.” Students in grades 6-12 in the U.S. and Canada (grades 6-11 in Quebec) are invited to submit a 500- to 600-word essay that thoughtfully addresses this topic. To find contest details and entry form, visit HillemanFilm.com/contest.

Thank you for your help spreading the word! To share on social media, please check the Vaccine Makers Project, @VaccineMakers, on Facebook and Twitter or VEC_CHOP on Pinterest.

Materials in this section are updated as new information and vaccines become available. The Vaccine Education Center staff regularly reviews materials for accuracy.

You should not consider the information in this site to be specific, professional medical advice for your personal health or for your family's personal health. You should not use it to replace any relationship with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional. For medical concerns, including decisions about vaccinations, medications and other treatments, you should always consult your physician or, in serious cases, seek immediate assistance from emergency personnel.