Thimerosal!?

Aluminum!?

Formaldehyde!?

Polyethylene glycol!?

There’s lots of misinformation about these vaccine ingredients, so let’s spend some time finding out what’s safe and what’s not. 👇🏿

#ScienceUpFirst #NIAW2022

🧵[1/6] Thimerosal?

It’s a form of mercury that stops microbes from growing in some vaccines. 🛑

It hasn’t been used in routine kids’ vaccines in Canada since 2001, but is in some flu shots.

The mercury dose is less than a can of tuna! 🐟

#ScienceUpFirst #NIAW2022

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HPV is no joke.

There are 3 approved vaccines in Canada that prevent it.

Let’s talk about it ⬇️

#NIAW2022 #ScienceUpFirst

🧵[1/8] HPV = Human Papillomavirus.

It’s the most common sexually transmitted viral infection worldwide (1).

It’s estimated 75% of sexually active unvaccinated Canadians will get it at some point (2).

#NIAW2022 #ScienceUpFirst

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When it comes to routine vaccines, stick to the schedule. It’s better that way. 📅

Wondering if, by spacing out your kids’ vaccines, you can save some tears?

We’ve got just the thread for you 👇🏽

#NIAW2022 #ScienceUpFirst

🧵[1/10] The routine immunization schedule here in Canada was developed for a reason: to provide optimal protection from vaccine-preventable diseases (1).

And with vaccines, timing is everything (2).

#NIAW2022 #ScienceUpFirst

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Cases in many parts of Canada are on the rise 😩

And, because testing is so limited right now, most case graphs tell only part of the story.

So what do we do about it?

#ScienceUpFirst

🧵 [1/10] First of all: Are cases really going up?

Yes, because of a more infectious sub-variant (Omicron BA.2), relatively low booster coverage, and relaxing protection measures: health-infobase.canada.ca/covid-19/epide…

#ScienceUpFirst

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People don’t just wake up one morning convinced “globalists run the Internet.” 👁️

To get to that point, they need to travel down the rabbit hole. 🕳️

So what drives people towards conspiracy theories and extremism?

#ScienceUpFirst

🧵[1/12] Feelings of isolation (1) and uncertainty due to events outside your control (2) are a recipe for radicalization. It’s no wonder the pandemic has amplified conspiracy theories. 😰

#ScienceUpFirst

🧵[2/12]

A recent safety report by Pfizer has been seized upon by misinformers. There’s nothing particularly new or scary about it, despite the #Pfizer #VaccineSideEffects hashtags circulating online.

Let’s dig in on how this data has been misrepresented 👇

🧵[1/9]

#ScienceUpFirst Part of the mix up comes from a misunderstanding of “adverse events”.

Adverse events (AEs) ≠ side effects

AEs may or may not be related to a treatment (e.g. vaccines) and they are monitored for both treatment groups and placebo groups.

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#ScienceUpFirst

COVID isn’t over. We know that’s not what anyone wants to hear right now, but it’s true. 🤷🏽‍♂️

So what is endemicity, and what will it take for us to get there?

Read on to learn more 👇

#ScienceUpFirst

🧵 [1/12] What is an endemic disease? 🤔

A single definition of “endemic” is tough to pin down (1). But epidemiologists say it’s when the rates of a disease are constant - not rising and not falling (2).

#ScienceUpFirst

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Heard some sketchy stuff about the COVID-19 vaccine and your immune system?

This thread breaks down the myths 👇

🧵[1/12]

#ScienceUpFirst Myth: “COVID-19 vaccines created an HIV variant”

Reality: COVID-19 vaccines are not responsible for an HIV variant circulating in the Netherlands. A misrepresented study actually says the variant likely emerged in the 1990s.

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#ScienceUpFirst

Misinformers often present only 2 choices. This or that.

But two seemingly opposite ideas can be true! 🤝

Come with us on a journey across the pandemic’s most popular false dichotomies. 🗺️ And learn how the world is more nuanced than this vs that.

#ScienceUpFirst

🧵 [1/8] Why bother with masks if you have the vaccine? 💉

Protecting yourself isn’t an either/or situation.

Both vaccines AND masks help protect you and everyone around you from disease. Who doesn’t want that?

#ScienceUpFirst

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No vaccine is perfect. That includes the COVID-19 vaccines.

But they don’t need to be in order to save millions of lives.

A thread about transmission 👇

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#ScienceUpFirst Transmission is the passing of a disease-causing pathogen (like a virus) from an infected person to someone else.

COVID-19 vaccines directly and indirectly reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

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#ScienceUpFirst

Beware of the fake news trap! 🕳

Last month we put out a series of Misinformer Tactics in collaboration with the amazing illustrator Jordan Collver (@JordanCollver).

Here is a recap of what to look out for 👇

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#ScienceUpFirst Astroturf? It looks like real grass, but it’s fake.

Similarly, Astroturfing is a practice where a message *appears* to have authentic grassroots support… but is really operated by just a few individuals.

🧵[2/7]

#ScienceUpFirst

https://twitter.com/ScienceUpFirst/status/1470798570391576585

Got Omicron? You are not alone!

See our thread on what we know so far 👇

🧵 [1/11]

#ScienceUpFirst Can I get infected with Omicron again?

Anecdotal reports find reinfections happening weeks apart. Experts expect it is possible to catch Omicron more than once. Scientists are currently assessing how often reinfections occur and who is at most risk.

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#ScienceUpFirst

Saw some head-scratching data? 🤔

Understanding the Base Rate Fallacy can help you avoid jumping to the wrong conclusions. 👇

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#ScienceUpFirst How we communicate data influences how others will perceive it.

And let’s just say some graphs are better than others 👀

🧵[2/6]

#ScienceUpFirst

“Should I get Omicron and just get it over with?”

NOPE! 🙅‍♀️

We’ve heard this line of thinking from our friends and family. But we’re here to tell you that getting COVID-19 isn’t inevitable and now isn’t the time to throw our hands in the air.

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#ScienceUpFirst Omicron spreads very easily, and hospitalizations are climbing.

Between Jan 3 and Jan 10, COVID-19 hospitalizations in Canada jumped from 4,113 to 6,926 and 290 more COVID-19 patients were admitted to an ICU (2).

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#ScienceUpFirst

Don’t underestimate “mild” - COVID-19 isn’t a chicken wing 🍗

There’s confusion around the severity of Omicron, let’s get into it 👇

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#ScienceUpFirst Good news: there is evidence of less lung damage (1,2,3); and lower rates of hospitalization and death (4).

But, what’s mild for one can be severe for others. Plus, the number of Long COVID cases related to Omicron are not yet captured.

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#ScienceUpFirst

Thanks to committed scientists around the world, we have learned a lot about #Omicron.

Here’s what we know* now; the good news and the bad news.👇

*A lot of this research is still pre-print - things may change

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#ScienceUpFirst The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has A LOT of mutations.

It’s got at least 36 mutations around the spike protein (which is the target of our vaccines)

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#ScienceUpFirst

We’re here to set the record straight on spike proteins.

Here’s why the spike proteins generated via the vaccine are safe, activate an effective immune response, and are *not the same* as the spike on the virus.

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#ScienceUpFirst First, a little Spike Protein 101

Spike proteins live on the surface of SARS-CoV-2

The virus infects human cells by binding to receptors. Once attached, the spike protein changes shape, letting the virus infiltrate our cells.



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#ScienceUpFirst

What are the differences between the vaccine for people 12+ and the vaccine for those 5-11?

Check out our quick guide!

🧵 [1/8]

#ScienceUpFirst Both vaccines are safe and effective. ✅💉

Both use mRNA as the active ingredient. ✅💉

What’s different?

🧵 [2/8]

#ScienceUpFirst

Health Canada approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for kids 5-11 today. 🥳

NACI has also provided recommendations on how best to use the vaccines, including dose interval.

Let’s discuss why they recommend at least 8 weeks between doses.

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#ScienceUpFirst You may have noticed that Health Canada authorized the COVID-19 vaccine with doses 3 weeks apart. But NACI is recommending doses at least 8 weeks apart.

@GovCanHealth: canada.ca/en/health-cana…

NACI: canada.ca/content/dam/ph…

Why the difference?

🧵 [2/7]

#ScienceUpFirst

BREAKING: Health Canada authorizes use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 to 11 years of age. 💉

Keep reading for more information.

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#ScienceUpFirst Health Canada has completed a thorough and independent scientific review of the evidence. They have determined that this vaccine is safe and effective at preventing COVID-19 for children between 5 and 11 years of age.

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#ScienceUpFirst

Have questions about long COVID? Well we’ve put together a looooong thread to answer them!

Here’s what we know about Long COVID so far.

References at the end!

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#ScienceUpFirst “Long COVID” is the name coined by patients, often referred to as "long haulers."

Other terms include “post COVID-19 condition” by the WHO and “post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC)” by the CDC.

They all refer to versions of the same condition.

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#ScienceUpFirst