Update, Aug. 23, 2021: The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which was previously authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use, received full approval from the agency on Aug. 23 for people 16 years of age and older.
Update, Feb. 10, 2022: The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine received full approval from the FDA on Jan. 31 for individuals 18 years of age and older.
In this video, FactCheck.org and Univision Noticias team up to debunk false claims made by a Texas doctor about the two mRNA vaccines authorized for emergency use in the U.S. for COVID-19.
The Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines demonstrated in clinical trials and real-world conditions to be highly effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 disease.
Despite that fact, Dr. Steven Hotze — a conservative activist who unsuccessfully challenged COVID-19 public health measures in Texas last year — falsely claimed in a widely shared video on social media that the mRNA vaccines are ineffective and dangerous. For more details, see our story, “Texas Doctor Spreads False Claims About COVID-19 Vaccines,” which is available in English and Spanish.
This is our first video with Univision Noticias as part of a joint project funded by the Google News Initiative to produce bilingual videos and articles about COVID-19 immunization misinformation.