Review article falsely claims mRNA vaccines killed more people than they saved

In late January, several vaccine opponents published a review article questioning the safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The paper calls for a ban on mRNA vaccines and promotes the baseless claim that COVID-19 vaccines caused “nearly 14 times more deaths” than lives saved.  Many posts emphasize that the paper is peer-reviewed as evidence of its credibility.Risk level: High

Recommendation:

This article and social media posts about the article may discourage patients from getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine. Debunking messaging may emphasize that the review’s claim on vaccine-related deaths is false and relies on unverified data, including a vaccine safety monitoring system similar to VAERS and a list of unconfirmed adverse events. Doctors may emphasize that COVID-19 vaccines have been determined to be safe, as adverse effects are extremely rare, and have saved millions of lives worldwide. The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older.