The Claim:
A video claims that some people died within a few hours or even minutes after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, suggesting that these deaths were caused by the vaccine, with one highlighted case of an 88-year-old man who allegedly died within seconds of vaccination.
The Facts:
The basis of these claims comes from laypeople searching through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS. Anyone can report anything to VAERS, regardless of causation, as is noted on the VAERS website.
One doctor famously submitted a report that the flu shot turned him into the Incredible Hulk. VAERS is helpful for keeping track of vaccine safety, but just because something is reported doesn’t mean the vaccine caused it. Even if they’re not sure, doctors should report any important health problems that happen after vaccination.
The most pertinent warning on the website helps put the above claims into context: “VAERS reports may contain information that is incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental, or unverifiable. Reports to VAERS can also be biased. As a result, there are limitations on how the data can be used scientifically. Data from VAERS reports should always be interpreted with these limitations in mind.”
These “sudden death” claims by anti-vaxxers usually don’t have any proof to back them up. They, and we, do not have access to medical records or other information to pinpoint the causes of these deaths.