Social media posts are recirculating the false claim that a preprint study co-authored by Florida’s surgeon general found that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine killed “a minimum of 470,000 Americans.” The unsupported claim is based on a study that found that Pfizer vaccine recipients in Florida had a 36 percent higher rate of death from any cause compared to Moderna vaccine recipients. The study reemerged online after the surgeon general condemned COVID-19 vaccines and lauded new federal vaccine recommendations in a July 17 press conference. Vaccine opponents claim that the study supports their inaccurate belief that COVID-19 vaccines are deadly. However, many critics of the study noted that it can’t be used to conclude that COVID-19 vaccination is linked to deaths because it doesn’t compare deaths between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Additionally, when compared to Florida’s all-cause death rates during the study period, Pfizer vaccine recipients only had a slightly higher death rate than Moderna vaccine recipients.
Recommendation
Debunking messaging may explain that the study, which has not been peer reviewed, is flawed. It does not account for baseline mortality, control for comorbidities and other risk factors, or compare mortality rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Additionally, statewide data show that both manufacturers’ mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are highly protective against COVID-19 deaths. Messaging may also emphasize that the false claim that COVID-19 vaccines are linked to excess deaths has been thoroughly debunked.
Fact-checking sources: Lead Sources, Health Feedback
