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Death by someone else’s vaccine

The Claim:

The family of a YouTube political pundit is claiming that the heart failure that killed her was caused by COVID-19 vaccine shedding.

The Facts:

Despite the sister’s claims that the COVID vaccine caused this YouTube star’s death, the death certificate attributed it to heart disease due to high blood pressure.

Why does the family believe this ardent anti-vaxxer might have sustained this alleged damage from a vaccine she never took? According to the sister, the cause was vaccine shedding, a concept often misunderstood by many. Shedding happens when a live virus replicates in your body and then spreads to others. That’s why viruses are contagious.

Some specific vaccines use live but weakened viruses that usually do not cause illness. These can also shed in very specific ways and usually don’t cause illness in people with functioning immune systems. COVID vaccines, however, aren’t live vaccines and do not shed, as there is no virus to shed. People aren’t dying suddenly from the COVID vaccine itself, let alone from vaccine shedding.

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Glossary words on this page

Immune system
The complex system in the body responsible for fighting disease.
Live vaccine
A vaccine using a virus or bacteria weakened so much that it cannot make you sick but can work with the body to create a good immune response.
Shedding
Viral shedding happens when a virus replicates inside your body and is released into the environment.
Virus
A tiny organism that multiplies within cells and causes diseases such as chickenpox, measles, mumps, rubella, and hepatitis.

Disclaimer

Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.

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