Articles and social media posts are claiming that hundreds of athletes have collapsed or died after receiving COVID-19 vaccines. The number varies from post to post, but a common claim seems to be that around 1,600 athletes have been impacted. The claim is based on an article that uses unverified “data” on athlete deaths and compares these unsourced numbers to a 2006 peer-reviewed study of sudden deaths in athletes under the age of 35.
Consider countering misinformation by explaining that there is no evidence that a single death on the list is related to COVID-19 vaccines and that the “data” in the list is unreliable and unverified. The vaccination status of most of the people on the list is unknown. The list includes people who have known causes of death that are unrelated to vaccines, such as cancer, car accidents, suicide, and drug overdoses. Aside from the cases on the list being unverified and unrelated to the vaccine, the list also compares vastly different sets of data, since the original study was limited to athletes under the age of 35 who died of sudden cardiac arrest. By contrast, the list includes hundreds of people who didn’t die or even suffer serious injuries. Athletes who were well over the age of 35 are on the list, including some in their 60 and 70s who hadn’t participated in sports for decades. For example, the legendary Brazilian soccer player Pele, who died of colon cancer at age 82, is on the list. The article also fails to take into account when vaccines became available in the countries where the people on the list live. In several cases, people are included on the list who would not have been eligible to receive vaccines at the time of their injury or death. Emphasizing that there are mechanisms in place to monitor vaccine safety, that adverse events after vaccination are extremely rare, and that there is no evidence to support this misinformation is recommended.
