ARKANSAS, USA — 47% of Arkansas’ population has been fully vaccinated. Which means there are still plenty of people out there on the fence about getting the shot. For one Arkansan, their hesitancy stems from rumors about a potential link to Alzheimer’s… so let’s VERIFY.
A THV11 VERIFY viewer told us his wife is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and wanted to know, is it true the COVID-19 shot accelerates the effects of Alzheimer’s and dementia?
Our sources – the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), Alzheimer’s Association, and Dr. Robert Hopkins with University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Dr. Jennifer Dillaha with ADH says: “There is no truth to the rumor that the COVID-19 vaccines cause or accelerate Alzheimer’s or other dementias. People living with Alzheimer’s are at increased risk for severe disease if they were to get COVID-19.”
We also turned to the Alzheimer’s Association website. There – they strongly encourage the vaccine, saying, “Based on information from the FDA, the COVID-19 vaccines were tested in large clinical trials to make sure they meet safety standards.”
They go on to say, “Vaccines are an important step in protecting the health and safety of long-term care residents and staff. It is important that individuals and families consult with health care providers about any questions related to an individual and the vaccine.”
Dr. Hopkins points out recent research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) that found lasting memory problems and other cognitive deficits in people who had survived COVID-19. He says, “So while we have no evidence that the vaccines cause an acceleration of Alzheimer’s or dementia, we do have reason to believe that the virus itself adversely affects the brain.”
So we can VERIFY – this claim is FALSE. There is no data supporting any acceleration of Alzheimer’s from the COVID-19 vaccines.
If you have something you’d like VERIFIED, we’d love to help. Email us at verify@thv11.com or reach out to us on social media.