Thread by @AGHamilton29

This is Covid-19 misinformation coming from the former Surgeon General.

1) Of course the virus isn't harmless (something no one ever claimed), but even unvaccinated kids are at less-risk of severe illness or hospitalization than the very low risk of vaccinated adults.

https://twitter.com/JeromeAdamsMD/status/1478168383724175360

2) There has been no significant rise in sickness among children or change in approach. Almost every data point suggests the increase in that chart is due to incidental hospitalizations due to high community infection rates:

https://twitter.com/AGHamilton29/status/1476068002013536262

As I pointed out yesterday, more kids die of drowning in an average year than have died from Covid-19 in almost 2 years.

And data already shows that the latest variant is even milder for kids:

https://twitter.com/elizashapiro/status/1476012599649226757

Yes, vaccines work. Yes, they even reduce the risk for kids. But stop trying to scare people with misinformation to pretend their kids are at-risk.

Even Hospitalizations during the Delta wave:

Unvaccinated 12-17- 2.2/100K
Vaccinated adults-- 3.9/100K

It's fine to promote the benefits of vaccines. It's not alright for public health officials to mislead people and try to scare them by exaggerating the risk to kids. Especially when that fear is then being used to advocate other policies that cause far more harm to kids.

This is why health officials have lost so much credibility. This is the former Surgeon General just inventing stuff as he goes while ignoring the actual data. All because he's more concerned about the narrative/message than telling people the truth.

Enough with the noble lies.

This isn't partisan. It doesn't excuse misinformation by others. But it has done significant harm. And who have they convinced with this approach?

They have vaccinated people and parents living in fear and are being tuned out by those actually at-risk.