No, mRNA vaccines do not eat away at children's immune systems

What is the claim?

The screenshot of an article titled "German Study: mRNA Shots 'Eat Away' at Children's Immune Systems," published in The People's Voice, a website known for spreading false and misleading information, has been posted by multiple Facebook users. Archived versions of these posts can be accessed here and here. 

mRNA vaccines have often been the target of COVID-19-related misinformation on social media. Logically Facts has debunked multiple false claims about mRNA vaccines in the past. 

Facebook post claiming that mRNA shots 'Eat Away' at children's immune system. (Source: Pharmaceuticals Exposed/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

We found that the article in question in the viral screenshot did not quote the study results accurately, and the headline further misinterpreted it. 

What did we find?

Using a keyword search, we traced the viral screenshot to an article (archive) published by The People's Voice on August 20, 2024. The article cites a scientific study to claim that mRNA vaccines weaken children's immune systems. 

This study looked at the immune response of 14 children between the ages of 5 and 11 who received two doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The researchers found that after a year, the children had high levels of IgG4.

IgG4 is a type of immunoglobulin, also known as antibodies, used by the body to fight against germs. Antibodies are divided into classes: IgM, IgG, IgA, IgD, and IgE. Further, IgG has four subclasses, the least concentrated of which is IgG4, and various studies say that it is still being studied. 

The study authors do not discuss the IgG4-related disease in the paper. They concluded by saying that they reported increased spike-specific IgG4 levels in children a year after vaccination, similar to the effect observed in adults.

However, the People's Voice article misrepresented this study to suggest that COVID-19 "eats away" at children's immune systems and that an increased level of IgG4 indicates IgG4-related disease.

What did the author of the study say?

Dr. Robin Kobbe, a co-author of the original study and a Medical Specialist in Pediatrics and Youth Medicine at UKE Hamburg, told Logically Facts that the article misinterpreted the study's results. 

"Our study just reports on an increase of a specific type of antibodies, the IgG4, in children - after it has already been reported to go up in adults! That does not mean that this is bad at all." 

He added that there have been no real negative clinical effects due to the delayed increase of IgG4 after vaccinations in adults or children. The increase in IgG4 levels might be important in the prevention of other diseases by mRNA vaccines in the future, which is what the study wanted to address. 

Dr. Kobbe also commented on the negative effects of the misinformation and anti-vaccine narrative circulating on social media. "The mRNA technology is a great advance in medicine, but unfortunately, we have this powerful anti-Vax movement using social media who try to destroy these achievements," he added. 

What did other experts say?

Other experts also stated that the study in question does not conclude that the increased levels of IgG4 are harmful to children, may lead to a related disease, or "eat away" at their immune system.

Virologist Dr. Shahid Jameel, fellow at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford and a visiting professor at Ashoka University, explained that "IgG4 has not been studied as much as the IgG1, 2, and 3 subclasses. These findings call for more detailed investigations into IgG4 and autoimmune disease. So, the bottom line is we don't know enough."

"And certainly not enough to say that mRNA vaccines "eat away" the immune systems. That would be a misrepresentation of facts as we know them at this time," he added. 

Commenting on the People's Voice article, he said that it "selectively quotes the study. It ignores that the study says IgG4 may actually lead to more efficient immune memory in the longer term."

Dr. Shiv Pillai, an immunologist and a professor at Harvard Medical School, told Logically Facts, "High IgG4 is not an indication of IgG4-related disease" and that The People's Voice draws an inaccurate conclusion from the study.

He further explained, "Every kid who gets allergy shots, for instance, will elevate IgG4 and reduce IgE and IgG1. IgG4 is the most innocuous of all our antibody subclasses. Diagnosing IgG4-related disease in kids is actually a very, very rare occurrence, and in those very rare cases there is likely an underlying genetic cause."

The verdict

The study's co-author has clearly explained that the People's Voice magazine inaccurately quoted their study. Other experts also highlighted how the article misrepresented the study results. The study did not find that an increase in IgG4 is harmful nor is there any evidence that mRNA vaccines "eat away" at children's immune systems.