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Hi Grok, Is there any evidence that 1598 athletes died between 2021-2022 due to being vaccinated against covid
No credible evidence supports the claim that 1,598 athletes died between 2021 and 2022 due to COVID-19 vaccination. This figure originates from a letter to the editor published in the Scandinavian Journal of Immunology by Peter McCullough and Panagis Polykretis, which cited a blog, goodsciencing.com, as its source. The blog compiles news reports of deaths and medical emergencies among athletes and others, but it lacks rigorous verification and includes cases with causes unrelated to vaccines, such as cancer, suicides, or car accidents. It also does not consistently confirm vaccination status or establish causal links to vaccines.
Scientific studies and expert analyses, including a 2023 medRxiv preprint, found no significant increase in sudden cardiac death (SCD) among athletes in 2021-2022 compared to pre-pandemic rates, and no evidence links mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to such deaths. For example, a study of US athletes under 40 identified 166 deaths (83 per year) in this period, with most causes unknown or non-cardiovascular, and no confirmed vaccine-related cases.
Sports cardiologists and organizations like the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research report no surge in athlete deaths or cardiac injuries post-vaccination. Claims otherwise often rely on anecdotal lists or misrepresent data, such as comparing unverified 2021-2022 figures to a 2006 study of sudden cardiac deaths over 38 years (1966-2004), which used different criteria. Myocarditis, a rare vaccine side effect, is typically mild and not linked to widespread fatalities.
The claim appears to stem from misinformation amplified by anti-vaccine advocates, often misinterpreting high-profile cases like Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest, which had no proven vaccine connection. Always approach such claims critically, as they may exploit incomplete or misleading data.