Journal Rejects Request to Retract Study Suggesting Negative COVID Vaccine Effectiveness

Pfizer and Moderna bivalent COVID-19 vaccines are readied for use at a clinic in Richmond, Va., in a Nov. 17, 2022, file image. (Steve Helber/AP Photo)

https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/journal-rejects-request-to-retract-study-suggesting-negative-covid-vaccine-effectiveness-5491435?src_src=morningbriefnoe&src_cmp=mb-2023-09-17&est=YDOvmB6YTlV%2B4YdYzIi7YALnkDwcVItNA%2B%2FiT1n2ZV9cvSCDgVomGRANWvegPxNhoJVXlg%3D%3D 

A scientific journal is rejecting a request to retract a study that found people who received a COVID-19 booster were more likely to become infected when compared to unvaccinated people.

Analyzing numbers from California's prison system, a research group found that those who received one of the bivalent boosters had a higher infection rate than people who have never received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Their study was published by the journal Cureus following peer review.

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Each study has an author who fields questions and comments. They are known as the corresponding author.

Cureus confirmed that the study's corresponding author has asked the journal to retract the article.

"I can confirm that we were contacted by the corresponding author with a request to retract. However, we have determined that there is no basis for retraction and therefore it will remain published," Graham Parker-Finger, director of publishing and customer success for Cureus, told The Epoch Times via email.

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The study was listed as beginning to undergo peer review on Aug. 16. Peer review finished on Aug. 23. The paper was published on Sept. 4. The peer review has not been made public.

High School Student

Luke Ko, listed as the study's corresponding author, said that he's 17 years old and still in high school.

Mr. Ko told The Epoch Times in an email that while others are listed as co-authors, he was actually the sole author of the paper.

"I initiated this study independently, with dual aims: first, to showcase my analytical skills for college admissions, and second, to emphasize the importance of continuously administering updated vaccines to prisoners," Mr. Ko said.

Those listed as co-authors "had only given verbal commitments to serve as mentors," he added. "They were not given the chance to validate the data I entered, particularly the incorrect figures related to COVID-19 cases in prisons. Furthermore, they did not have the opportunity to review the final draft of the paper, which was submitted to Curesus.com [sic] without their approval."

Mr. Ko claimed to have used ChatGPT for analyzing the data used in the study and said he made "significant errors." He did not specify what the alleged errors were.