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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Grant Wahl Died from Aortic Aneurysm, No Link to COVID-19 Vaccine

Grant Wahl Died from Aortic Aneurysm, No Link to COVID-19 Vaccine

American sportswriter Grant Wahl died unexpectedly while covering the soccer World Cup in Qatar, and purveyors of vaccine misinformation have suggested that his death was caused by COVID-19 vaccination. He actually died from the rupture of an aortic aneurysm that he didn’t know he had.

Viral Posts Spin Falsehood Out of Denmark’s COVID-19 Booster Drive

Viral Posts Spin Falsehood Out of Denmark’s COVID-19 Booster Drive

Denmark announced a plan for its fall COVID-19 vaccination drive, saying it will offer omicron-specific booster shots to high-risk individuals, including everyone 50 and over. But U.S.-based misinformation peddlers misleadingly suggest that means the shots are unsafe for those under 50. The Danish Health Authority said that is a misinterpretation.

Misrepresentation of Germany’s Data on Unverified COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects

Misrepresentation of Germany’s Data on Unverified COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects

Viral claims have repeatedly misrepresented unverified data from a U.S. vaccine safety system that encourages reports of any potential side effects — whether they’re likely to be caused by the vaccine or not. Now we’re seeing the same phenomenon with a similar system in Germany. Some have wrongly claimed Germany found the COVID-19 vaccine caused “serious side effects” in a large number of people.

Why It’s Easy to Misinterpret Numbers of Deaths Among the Vaccinated

Why It’s Easy to Misinterpret Numbers of Deaths Among the Vaccinated

Raw numbers of hospitalizations or deaths among those who are vaccinated are not a good indicator of whether vaccines are effective. If the large majority of a population is vaccinated, it’s not surprising if most deaths are among the vaccinated. But social media posts misuse data from the U.K. to suggest the COVID-19 vaccines don’t work.