Elon Musk told his followers on Friday that there is "some controversy" over whether the second coronavirus vaccination is more dangerous than the first jab. Doctors have unanimously stated that vaccines are healthy and that side effects fade within days.
Musk's tweet came after The Washington Post confirmed that more than 400 of Tesla's employees tested positive for COVID-19, indicating a significantly larger epidemic than previously believed. Despite local authority orders, Musk decided to reopen the factory at the time.
The Tesla CEO has downplayed the threat of the pandemic several times. Musk tweeted that "coronavirus panic is dumb" and estimated that the US would have registered "close to zero new cases by the end of April." Musk has advocated for a strategy that would allow for widespread contamination before vaccines are developed.
Tesla Employees Got COVID-19: What Happened Last Year?
Tesla's Fremont, California plant saw 450 cases of COVID-19 from May to December 2020, after it reopened defying health department orders, new data from legal website PlainSite says.
As coronavirus infections spiked around the region in March, public health authorities in Alameda County, where the Fremont plant is located, prohibited all but "key" businesses from staying open.
Musk, an outspoken opponent of the coronavirus shelter-in-place orders sent last year, threatened to relocate the Fremont factory out of California. The Verge said Tesla filed a lawsuit against Alameda County over the shutdown order on May 9 of last year. But it was dismissed less than two weeks later.
According to the Washington Post, records obtained by PlainSite indicate that Tesla had about a dozen COVID-19 cases in May 2020. The numbers continued to grow through December, with 125 new cases of the virus reported at the factory. Tesla's Fremont plant hires almost 10,000 employees.
Tesla resisted the lockdown decision. But they finally shut the plant down on March 23rd. Tesla, however, restarted production at the Fremont plant a few days later, ignoring the fact that it was in breach of the public health order.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, announced on Twitter that he intended to be on the factory floor with Fremont employees, taunting local authorities to arrest him.
Tesla's proposal to reopen was later accepted, even though it had already been open in violation of the March orders.
Tesla Employees Got COVID-19: What Did Elon Musk Say?
Despite medical professionals' confirmation that coronavirus vaccinations are safe and guidance to the general population to get all doses of those that need it, Elon Musk sent a tweet casting doubt on facets of them.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk replied to a tweet from a certain Ashlee Vance, who reported that his elderly parents were refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine due to the things they see on Facebook.
For sure wise for elderly or immunocompromised to take the vaccine. Some debate about the second jab though. Quite a few negative reactions to that.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 12, 2021
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said allergic reactions to Pfizer's and Moderna's first and second shots are exceedingly rare in the United States, with only 4.5 reactions per million doses - or 0.00045 percent - occurring.
There were no significant safety issues in studies of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine.
The FDA said most Pfizer vaccines' stronger side effects - such as headache, fever, and nausea - emerged after the second dose.
However, the figures remain low. FDA said 31 percent of people aged 18 to 55 who received the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine had a fever. During the second dose of the Moderna vaccine, 17 percent of those in the same age group experienced a fever.
The vaccine's side effects were expected, and they usually only lasted a day or two. Younger subjects are most likely to experience side effects.
RELATED ARTICLE : Volunteer for Pfizer's Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine Shares Side Effects from Trial
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