"No concrete evidence supports the claim that COVID-19 vaccines killed 500,000 people. This claim, often linked to sources like the McCullough Foundation and amplified by figures like Liz Churchill on X, primarily stems from misinterpretations of VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) data. VAERS is a passive reporting system where anyone can submit unverified reports of adverse events, and it explicitly states that reports do not confirm causality. As of December 2022, VAERS recorded around 18,007 deaths following COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S., but extensive reviews by the CDC and FDA, including death certificates and autopsies, found no causal link in most cases, except for rare instances like three confirmed deaths from blood clots linked to the Janssen vaccine.
The claim of 500,000 deaths appears to rely on flawed extrapolations, such as assuming underreporting in VAERS by a factor of 5 or more, without robust evidence. For example, a 2021 claim by attorney Thomas Renz about 45,000 deaths used similar logic, which was debunked due to unverified data and lack of causal proof. Studies, like one in The Lancet, estimate COVID-19 vaccines prevented 14.4 million deaths globally in their first year, with models showing 19.8 million lives saved by reducing severe outcomes. Excess deaths in 2021-2022, often cited as evidence, correlate more strongly with COVID-19 surges than vaccination rollouts, driven by factors like unvaccinated deaths, drug overdoses, and healthcare disruptions.
Rare vaccine side effects, such as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) or myocarditis, have caused deaths (e.g., 32 VITT cases in a 2021 review), but these are orders of magnitude below 500,000. Claims of mass vaccine-related deaths lack peer-reviewed support and are contradicted by global data showing lower mortality in vaccinated populations. Posts on X citing 500,000 deaths reflect sentiment but lack substantiation and are not credible evidence. For accurate information, peer-reviewed studies and health authorities like the CDC or WHO are more reliable than unverified claims."