False: The government is lying about the risks of COVID-19 in unvaccinated people.

By: Rachel Muller-Heyndyk
December 20 2021

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Those who are not vaccinated are far more likely to become seriously unwell or die from COVID-19.Paul Rouke is a consultant and trainer based in the U.K. Rouke is a nondenominational Christian, and many of his posts and videos on his Facebook page center on COVID-19 denial, flat earth theory, and the belief that the government and media outlets have a secret, satanic agenda. In a live video to his followers, captioned "Is it now the pandemic of the unjabbed?" Rouke says that it is "a lie from the pits of hell". He claims that vaccinated people are more likely to become unwell than those who have not been vaccinated, and that it is the vaccinated who risk overwhelming the NHS. This is not true, and the greater risks towards unvaccinated people have been well documented. The World Health Organization (WHO) has always acknowledged that COVID-19 vaccines cannot provide everyone with full protection against COVID-19. All the same, studies have repeatedly shown that COVID-19 vaccines drastically reduce the risk of hospitalization and death from the virus. Research from Public Health England (PHE) and the University of Cambridge from June 2021 found that the COVID-19 vaccination program had prevented 7.2 million infections and 27,000 deaths in England alone. AstraZeneca said in February 2021 that its vaccine has an efficacy rate of 82 percent after two doses, while Pfizer has an efficacy rate of 92 percent. Efficacy specifically refers to how well the vaccine performs in clinically controlled groups, according to WHO. This means, for example, that 82 percent fewer people who have received both doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine will come into contact with the virus than those who have not been vaccinated. WHO added that it would not be possible to provide full protection from the virus, as breakthrough cases occur, but that the symptoms will generally be mild. The body advised that the more people who get the vaccine, the less likely it will be for these breakthrough infections to occur. Health professionals have repeatedly urged the public to get vaccinated, as the number of unvaccinated people in critical care with COVID-19 increases. Nottingham University Hospital (NUH) said that 90 percent of its COVID patients in intensive care were unvaccinated in July 2021. Just under half were under the age of 44. Sixty percent of COVID-19 patients in the hospital overall had not been vaccinated. With this research in mind, it's clear that the government's focus on the vaccination drive is not related to conspiracy or to satanic practices, but a matter of public health. The belief that vaccines are rooted in evil, elitist plots is common among conspiracy groups. There is no evidence for Rouke's claims, and vaccines have been repeatedly proven to be safe. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.