False: Pfizer vaccine killed around 40 times more elderly than the virus itself would have.

By: Devika Kandelwal
March 23 2021

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Although some people have died after taking the vaccine, none have been directly attributed to a COVID-19 jab. An article in 'The Defender' claims that the Pfizer vaccine has killed around 40 times more elderly than the virus itself would have. The article attributed its claims to a re-analysis of data from the Israeli Health Ministry where it concluded that Pfizer’s COVID vaccine killed “about 40 times more (elderly) people than the disease itself would have killed” during a recent five-week vaccination period, and 260 times more younger people than would have died from the virus. However, this claim is false. The hyperlink to the study in the article takes one to a website where it says "account suspended." Furthermore, The Defender is Children’s Health Defense’s news and views website, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is the chairman and chief legal counsel for Children’s Health Defense. Kennedy Jr. is a known anti-vaccine advocate, conspiracy theorist, author, and environmental lawyer. Children's Health Defense is an anti-vaccine advocacy group, which spreads misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19. On the other hand, on February 26, the scientific journal Nature published an article stating according to an analysis of one million people in Israel, the Pfizer vaccine is highly effective at preventing severe COVID-19. It further states that rhe researchers found that, at 7 days or more after the second shot, Pfizer’s vaccine was 94% effective at preventing COVID-19 and 92% effective against severe disease. Although some people have died after taking the vaccine, which has made people question whether the vaccines have led to deaths, none have been directly attributed to a COVID-19 jab. The current vaccines are safe, and many experts believe that the risk of severe reaction to a COVID-19 jab is outweighed by the protection it offers against the deadly coronavirus. Many people who have been vaccinated so far are people older than 60 years of age and have pre-existing conditions. It's important to note that some people might pass away a few days after the vaccine is administered to at-risk populations. However, unless the cause of the death is determined, it is dangerous to assume that the person died because of the vaccination. The death also could have occurred due to natural causes. Many people who have been vaccinated so far are people older than 60 years of age and have pre-existing conditions. It's important to note that some people might pass away a few days after the vaccine is administered to at-risk populations. However, unless the cause of the death is determined, it is dangerous to assume that the person died because of the vaccination. The death also could have occurred due to natural causes. The re-analysis of the data does not offer evidence of a causal link between vaccination and death; they offer a timeline of a vaccination dose being given, and a death that occurred afterwards. A report which was published on January 27 from the health ministry of Israel detailed vaccine side-effects, and said most seen in Israel were “mild and transient” and were “similar in their frequency and character to the symptoms reported after other vaccines were given to the population”. On February 9, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said more than 97% of COVID-related deaths in Israel in the previous month were in people who had not been vaccinated against the disease. According to a report by the BBC, Israeli Ministry of Health (MoH) figures show 531 over-60s, out of almost 750,000 fully vaccinated, tested positive for coronavirus (0.07%). And far fewer fell ill, with 38 becoming hospitalised with moderate, severe or critical disease. The MoH assessed the medical records of almost a million people in total - 743,845 of whom were over the age of 60 - until at least seven days after they received a second dose of the vaccine. There were three deaths in vaccinated over-60s - although it is possible they contracted the infection earlier, before their immunity had time to build. According to the data given on Worldometer, cases in Israel started to increase in January 2021 primarily because of the UK variant, which has proven to be very infectious. However, cases started falling in February. Israel started vaccinating its population and January, and after the first dose, it takes almost two to three weeks for immunity to build up. In January, the number of death because of COVID-19 also increased in Israel, but that was due to the new variant. Moreover, even if someone has received the first dose, the vaccine's effect kicks in after a while, which means the person is still at risk for two to three weeks. Moreover, the number of deaths started decreasing towards the end of February when most people who received the first dose would have also received the second. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.