The article misrepresents US data on deaths after vaccination

One article states that the number of “vaccine-related deaths” in the United States in 2021 exceeds that of the past decade, as Covid-19’s national inoculation campaign accelerates. But the government reporting system cited in the article makes it clear that deaths were not definitively linked to immunization, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the data generally cannot be used to determine whether a vaccine caused a fatality. .

“EXCLUSIVE: According to the CDC, there are almost twice as many vaccine-related deaths so far in 2021 (1,755) than all vaccine deaths in the past decade (994),” says the headline in the March 29, 2009 article. 2021 from The Gateway Pundit.

The article was also shared as a screenshot on Instagram here, while the same statement appears in a post here.

The claim is part of a flood of inaccurate vaccine information that is spreading online as countries seek to immunize people against Covid-19.

The disease – which has killed more than 2.8 million worldwide – has triggered a major vaccination campaign in the United States, with more than 153 million Covid-19 vaccines administered so far.

The figures cited by The Gateway Pundit – which made other claims that were verified by AFP – come from the Vaccine Adverse Event Notification System (VAERS).

But it goes without saying that the deaths are definitely “vaccine-related”.

A description of the program’s database says it “contains information about unverified reports of adverse events (illnesses, health problems and / or symptoms) after immunization with vaccines licensed in the United States” and accepts reports from healthcare providers , vaccine manufacturers and the general public.

Although the article cites this description, it does so only after claiming that the deaths were related to vaccination in the title and the first paragraph.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which runs the VAERS program with the Food and Drug Administration, said in an email to AFP that the system “accepts all reports of adverse events after vaccination, regardless of whether whether or not vaccine caused the event. “

“Because of this and other limitations, VAERS data generally cannot be used to determine whether a vaccine caused the adverse event (including deaths),” said the CDC.

The article also says that “the two primary vaccine manufacturers that have the highest number of deaths related to their vaccines are Moderna and Pfizer / Biontech” – Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers.

But the CDC said there is a requirement that deaths after vaccinations with Covid-19 be reported – something that does not exist for other immunizations.

“These death reports are partly explained by the requirement that healthcare professionals report all deaths that occur after vaccination with Covid-19 (required by the Emergency Use Authorization (USA), regardless of whether the health provider believes that the vaccine was the cause, ”said the CDC, referring to authorizations that allow the vaccines to be administered.

“This reporting requirement does not apply to other vaccines.”

The CDC states on its website that Covid-19 vaccines are “safe and effective” and recommends that people take them.

“A review of the available clinical information, including death certificates, autopsies and medical records, revealed no evidence that vaccination (Covid-19) contributed to the death of patients,” says the website.

AFP’s fact check unmasked other inaccurate VAERS-related claims here.