Posts resurface false claim that COVID-19 vaccines caused increase in blood clots

Several popular posts in English and Spanish are falsely blaming COVID-19 vaccines for an increase in blood clots. One English post claims that 70 percent of embalmers in a survey said they’re finding abnormal clots that they had never seen before COVID-19 vaccines. And a Spanish post claims that fatal blood clots are the main cause of preventable deaths in U.S. hospitals and that COVID-19 vaccines are to blame.  

Risk level: Medium

Recommendation: False claims about blood clots and COVID-19 vaccines have circulated for the last few years despite being repeatedly debunked. These types of claims may discourage patients from getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine. Messaging may emphasize that there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are responsible for unusual blood clots. Blood clots were a leading cause of death in the U.S. long before the pandemic. COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested and have been determined to be safe, as adverse effects are extremely rare. The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older.