Social media posts attribute COVID-19 vaccines to excess deaths

Multiple social media posts attributed COVID-19 vaccines to excess deaths. One of the top posts featured a video of a Puerto Rican Congressional delegate who spoke about the dangers of COVID-19 vaccines, calling vaccines a “global genocide.” Other posts claimed COVID-19 vaccines have caused the deaths of 120,000 U.S. children, cited excess death rates of 3,000 percent in New Zealand, and claimed that 90 percent of vaccinated people are dying in hospitals.

Risk level: High

Recommendation: False claims about COVID-19 vaccine deaths may promote vaccine hesitancy, especially when those claims are coming from a political official. Doctors may face questions about COVID-19 vaccine safety. Talking points may emphasize that COVID-19 vaccines have not caused excess deaths in any age group, and severe adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine are extremely rare. The CDC continues recommending COVID-19 vaccines for everyone six months and older, because the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks across all age groups. Staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines reduces the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization, death, and long COVID.