The Pfizer COVID vaccine is safe for almost everyone

Late last year Dr Nikki Turner appeared on TVNZ's Seven Sharp current affairs program to talk about the number of people who would be expected to have medical problems from being given the Pfizer COVID vaccine.

She did a great job of describing the vaccine's ingredients simply, and was even able to estimate the number of kiwis who would be unable to be vaccinated - because of a severe allergic reaction - at around 100. She makes some really good points about just how safe the vaccine is for almost everyone.

There's a group of doctors we've talked about numerous times, (mostly now ex-doctors), who call themselves NZDSOS - New Zealand Doctors Speaking out with Science. They believe the vaccine is either ineffective, dangerous or a government conspiracy to inject everyone with a microchip to control them. It's mind-boggling that there are well-educated and highly trained doctors in New Zealand who have such a misunderstanding of science, and distrust of the government, that they think this last one is happening. And they're deadly serious about that last point. There's an article on their site claiming they've found what they think are self-assembling electronic components in the vaccine.

When we last checked the list of 71 named NZDSOS doctors a couple of months ago, fewer than half of them were actually practising doctors, registered with the Medical Council - although at the beginning of April 2022 several of these doctors won an appeal that saw them reinstated. Either way, they are dwarfed by the nearly 7,000 doctors in NZ who are supportive of the COVID vaccine.

This small group of anti-vaccine doctors took exception to what Dr Turner said on Seven Sharp and, as is their right, they complained to the Broadcasting Standards Authority about the segment. They argued that Dr Turner:

  • failed to state the key components in the vaccine
  • made misleading claims that the vaccine is safe for almost everybody
  • incorrectly stated that the vaccine was completely safe for pregnant people
  • completely misleads the audience with her simplistic comments
  • took the position that the risks associated with infection with COVID outweigh the risks associated with vaccination

They also argued that expert opinion like that from Dr Turner is the “lowest tier of evidence”, and is not as reliable as RCTs (Randomised Controlled Trials) and meta-analyses (studies that combine the results of multiple studies statistically).

The BSA appears to have given the NZDSOS doctors a fair hearing, and seriously considered all of their points. However, they found that none of the anti-vaccine doctors' arguments were persuasive. They said that:

  • Dr Turner is a credible expert so there was no reason for Seven Sharp to doubt the accuracy of her statements
  • Dr Turner did not claim that the vaccine does not cause side effects
  • The safety and efficacy of the vaccine has been well established
  • Dr Turner summarised the ingredients of the vaccine in simplified terms for viewers without specialist expertise

There are a lot of serious sounding articles on the NZDSOS website warning of the dangers of modern medicine, and promoting unproven alternatives - but a lot of what is written on their website is simple scaremongering, and people shouldn't pay attention to it.

To me, it seems that NZDSOS are pretending to use science when they are simply pushing an agenda which is ideologically opposed to vaccines and the pharmaceutical companies that supply them.

When it comes to vaccination, we should trust the experts and not the outliers who are telling you there's a grand conspiracy. It was good to see the ruling from the BSA support this position.