Fifteen doctors' associations have joined together to refute claims made by a controversial doctor, who has repeatedly criticised health authorities over their approach to COVID-19.

In an interview with Times of Malta this week, Jean Karl Soler questioned the benefits of lockdowns, vaccinating healthy children and other strategies to control the virus.

The doctor insists others support him - but a statement by the Malta College of Pathologists, endorsed by 14 other associations, said some of his claims were "incorrect or misleading".

While the statement did not name Soler, it referred to the claims made in his interview.

Here's what Soler said and the response from the medical associations. 

What Soler said on vaccinating children:

In the interview, Soler insists that healthy children and teens should not get vaccinated. While he acknowledges that the risk of a child experiencing side effects from the vaccine is extremely low, he argues that the risk of that child dying from the virus is even lower.

"Between one and five children per 100,000 experience side effects from the vaccine. But just one out of every million are at risk of dying from the virus if they are infected," he said.

"So, using the logic of risk and benefit, it is perfectly understandable to refrain from giving children the vaccine."

In the interview, Soler also said that Germany is amongst the countries that is refusing to give the vaccine to children under the age of 18.

How the doctors' associations responded:

While they recognise that mortality in teens and adolescents is extremely low, the doctors say this "does not mean that the infection carries no repercussions in this age group."

They said that data emerging from the US shows that a significant number of adoloscents who contract the virus are hospitalised and some even require ventilators. The spread of the Delta variant is leading to an increase in adolescents having to go to hospital, they argue, quoting the Centres for Disease Control in the US. 

"Vaccination in this cohort is therefore paramount. On the other hand, side effects from the vaccine, while occurring in 1 per 100,000, are typically minor events," they said.

The doctors said a study of 3,000 people aged 18 to 34 years who contracted COVID-19 found that "21% ended up in intensive care, 10% were placed on a ventilator and 2.7% died."

The doctors also said it was not correct to say Germany was refusing to vaccinate under-18s, and said they "will start offering coronavirus vaccinations for all children and teenagers aged 12 and older," they said.

What Soler said on lockdown:

Soler pointed to Sweden as evidence that lockdowns do not work. He said that Sweden did not close shops and schools, did not make the use of masks mandatory and did not enforce lockdowns.

"Studies are now showing us that lockdowns do not decrease deaths, and another study shows they do not decrease cases either," he said.

"Lockdowns do not work."

How the doctors' associations responded:

They said that European independent public health specialists agree that Sweden's Covid-19 strategy "was anything but a success story."

They said the lack of lockdowns resulted in high death rates among the elderly and that "even the King of Sweden has gone on the record criticising the policy and the unnecessary deaths it caused."

Studies show that social distancing and lockdowns "have the potential to reduce the number of new infection cases by up to 98.9 per cent," they said.

What Soler said about vaccinated vs unvaccinated people:

He claimed that vaccinated and unvaccinated people share the same risk of spreading the virus.

"The CDC has just published a study that produced astonishing conclusions," he said.

"The study analysed people who were vaccinated and exposed to the virus and people who were not vaccinated and were exposed to the virus as well.

"They found that those vaccinated carried the same viral load as people who were not," he said.

"So, you are truly at risk of transmitting the virus if you sneeze and cough but not if you are unvaccinated."

How the doctors' associations responded:

The doctors recgnise the existence of such a study, but say Dr Soler's claim is misleading because "the relevance of this paper has been questioned."

"Indeed, a preliminary local study on far larger patient numbers suggests that vaccinated people who still acquired COVID-19 had lower viral markers than those who were unvaccinated or only received one dose of the vaccine, and therefore less likely to spread infection," they said.

What else did Soler say?

He also questioned the effectiveness of masks. He said the the most recent review has found that they are not as effective as we might think.

"Masks are helpful if worn inside, where circulation is limited, and where there may be ill people," he said.

"In those scenarios, masks prevent droplet transmission. But droplets do not travel more than one or two metres. So, given that you socially distance, you do not need a mask. If you are not in a closed space, you do not need a mask either."

The doctors did not respond to this claim.

The 14 associations endorsing the statement issued by the Malta College of Pathologists are:

• Association of Emergency Physicians Malta
• Association of Anaesthetists Malta
• Association of Physicians Malta
• Association of Surgeons Malta
• Association of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeons Malta
• Malta Association of Ophthalmologists
• Malta Association of Radiologists and Nuclear Medicine Physicians
• Malta Association of Dermatologists and Venereologists
• Malta Association of Otorhinolaryngologists and Head and Neck Surgeons and Allied Specialities
• Malta Association of Public Health Medicine
• Malta Association of Psychiatry
• Malta College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists
• Malta Paediatric Association
• Geriatric Medicine Society Malta