A conservative website claims COVID-19 vaccines caused 74 percent of deaths in vaccinated people. The post cites a non-peer-reviewed study that went viral after being pulled from the medical journal The Lancet’s website because its conclusions were unsupported.
The continued circulation of the study as a credible source increases its risk. Debunking messaging may emphasize the low quality of the study and the fact that it was never peer-reviewed or published by a legitimate journal. Messaging may also explain that over three years of research has consistently demonstrated COVID-19 vaccine safety.