Are mRNA vaccines worse than thalidomide?

Mary Talley Bowden claims that she sees patients whose lives were destroyed by mRNA vaccines every day and compares it to the problems with thalidomide during the 1960s.

• A large study of veterans linked COVID vaccination to about 38% lower risk of serious heart problems related to COVID.
• Vaccination was also linked to about 6% lower risk of major heart problems from any cause.
• Benefits were greater for older adults and people with other health conditions. The findings describe group patterns, not what will happen to each person.

These concerns deserve careful review. However, a health problem that happens after vaccination is not always caused by the vaccine. A doctor’s account alone cannot show the cause or tell us how common a problem is.

A large study of U.S. veterans found that the updated 2024–2025 COVID vaccine was linked to a lower risk of serious heart problems. People who received it had about a 38% lower risk of major heart problems linked to COVID. They also had about a 6% lower risk of major heart problems from any cause. These problems included heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.

These findings describe patterns across a large group. They do not predict what will happen to one person. The study also found that the amount of protection was generally greater for people with other health conditions, whose starting risk was higher. Because researchers used health records rather than randomly assigning vaccines, the findings show a link but cannot fully prove cause and effect.

COVID vaccines have rare but real risks. The benefits and risks can differ based on a person’s age and health. Both deserve attention when making vaccine decisions.

During the pandemic, vaccination also helped prevent deaths and hospital stays. Researchers estimated that the U.S. vaccination program prevented about 3.2 million deaths and 18.5 million hospital stays from December 2020 through November 2022. They also estimated that it saved $1.15 trillion in medical costs. These are estimates based on a computer model, rather than exact counts.