Blank Vaccine Insert Does Not Imply a Conspiracy
The Claim
A viral video of a medical professional opening a blank vaccine paper insert shows that there is a conspiracy, or something otherwise sinister regarding the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine.
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Emerging story
On May 6th, a number of social media pages began posting a video that shows what appears to be a medical professional opening a box of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine.
The video begins with the person holding the unopened box of the vaccine to the screen. She then proceeds to open the box and remove a paper insert. When she unfolds the insert she reveals that it is almost entirely blank. She states that this blank space should provide safety and efficacy data along with the ingredients within the vaccine.
The video circulated on social media sites, with one Twitter post gaining over 95,300 views. The suspicions raised in the video were then repeated in a number of other social media posts.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation has concluded that there is nothing suspicious regarding the mostly blank paper inserts within the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine boxes.
The writing that is present on the paper insert is not legible in the viral video. However, at least two QR codes are visible. As the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen information website for medical professionals states, the insert provides these codes as a means of electronically accessing the information regarding the vaccine. Additionally, the site states that the writing that is present on the insert explains this.
The site also clarifies that the panels of the insert are blank so that vaccinators and consumers can access up to date information electronically. This is due to the fact that any information provided in a paper insert may become outdated.
Information regarding the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine that can be accessed via the insert’s QR code is also available at vaxcheck.jnj. Information provided on this site includes an expiration date checker, which works via entering the vaccine lot number. Also provided are fact sheets, storage information, the FDA emergency use authorization letter and more.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last updated its information regarding the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine on May 6th. It states that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh its known and potential risks. There is evidence to suggest that the Johnson and Johnson/Janssen vaccine has an extremely rare risk of causing thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome. Almost all of the occurrences of this syndrome have been in adult women aged younger than 50. The event is rare, with reporting at around seven per one million vaccinated.
