evidence: On 13 December 2023, the Wellness Company shared a post on Instagram, in which gynecologist James Thorp questioned the utility and safety of COVID-19 vaccines. The post claimed that the vaccines were an "unqualified disaster" because they didn’t "[halt] viral spread" while "spawn[ing] unacceptable high morbidity and mortality rates". [...] Although they don’t entirely halt the spread of the virus, COVID-19 vaccines are effective at reducing the risk of severe disease. This is important because it translates into fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations and mortality. An observational study about the first year of vaccination in the U.S. showed that a 10% increase in vaccination in the country was associated with an 8% reduction in mortality[4]. [...] Stating that COVID-19 vaccines don’t halt the spread of the virus is misleading. Similar to the claim discussed in the previous section, it incorrectly takes an "all or nothing" position on vaccine effectiveness, in which anything less than 100% effectiveness means a vaccine doesn’t work.