Fact Checking Two Claims About Vaccines by Marjorie Taylor Greene
The Georgia representative said that Anthony Fauci is recommending a fourth COVID shot and claimed that kids need only one dose of the polio vaccine.
On March 17, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene made comments on the House floor in response to the possibility, according to Greene, that Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, would recommend a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose. “He is also recommending a fourth COVID vaccine shot,” she said.
She then went on to make a false statement about the polio vaccine: “I don’t know about you guys, but many of us were vaccinated as kids against polio, we had our MMR, and I have never seen the CDC coming out saying, ‘oh, you’ve got to get your second polio shot, you’ve got to get your third, you’ve got to get your fourth.’”
Greene’s full remarks can be seen here.
The CDC actually does recommend four doses of the polio vaccine for children, with a recommended schedule of one dose each at 2 months old, 4 months old, 6 through 18 months old, and 4 through 6 years old.
Fauci has addressed the possibility of recommending a fourth COVID mRNA shot but is not doing so now. During a February 16, 2022, White House COVID-19 response team press briefing, he said: “The potential future requirement for an additional boost or a fourth shot for mRNA or a third shot for J&J is being very carefully monitored in real time. And recommendations, if needed, will be updated according to the data as it evolves.”
Currently, the CDC recommends a fourth dose of the mRNA vaccines only for “people ages 12 years and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised,” but not for the general public.
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“Greene’s full remarks can be seen here.“
You neglected to warn readers that looking directly at Greene’s full remarks will cause permanent brain damage.
The right wing is pushing a lot of misinformation about vaccines right now to discredit the COVID vaccines. According to these people, a real vaccine gives you 100% immunity with one shot. Since COVID vaccines don't give complete immunity and require boosters, they can't be vaccines.
This is, of course, complete nonsense. Not even the storied smallpox vaccine would fit the definition of vaccine these folks are pushing. It was 95% effective in preventing infection and the immunity provided faded after several years, requiring a booster.