A recent study suggests that COVID-19 vaccines may have contributed to a rise in excess deaths in Western countries since the pandemic began. The study, conducted by researchers from the Vrije Universiteit in the Netherlands and published in BMJ Public Health, analyzed mortality data from 47 countries, including the United States, Europe, and Australia. The findings indicate that excess mortality has remained high since 2020, despite widespread vaccination campaigns and various containment measures.
The researchers reported that more than 3 million excess deaths have occurred across the U.S., Europe, and Australia since 2020. Of these, over 1 million were recorded in 2020 at the pandemic's peak. However, excess deaths remained elevated in subsequent years, with 1.2 million in 2021 and 800,000 in 2022. The study's authors urged government leaders and policymakers to investigate the underlying causes of this persistent excess mortality.
"Although COVID-19 vaccines were provided to guard civilians from suffering morbidity and mortality by the COVID-19 virus, suspected adverse events have been documented as well," the researchers wrote. They highlighted that both medical professionals and citizens have reported serious injuries and deaths following vaccination to various official databases in the Western world.
The study identified several potential serious side effects of the vaccines, including ischemic strokes, acute coronary syndromes, and brain hemorrhages. The researchers noted that these common clinical conditions could hinder the detection of adverse vaccine reactions, leading to under-reporting.
This study is not the first to raise concerns about excess deaths in the wake of the pandemic. In a separate report, the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned of an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will mark the first calendar year with an average temperature exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, emphasizing the rapid and severe impacts of climate change.
However, the suggestion that COVID-19 vaccines may have contributed to excess deaths has been met with skepticism from various authorities. The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and independent bodies like the Actuaries Institute have all rejected such claims. They maintain there is "no credible evidence" supporting a link between vaccines and excess deaths.
The Actuaries Institute, in its submission to the Australian Senate inquiry into excess mortality, concluded that the rise in deaths was driven primarily by COVID-19 itself, rather than the vaccines. "The available evidence does not support a significant contribution to excess mortality by the adverse side-effects of COVID-19 vaccines," the Institute stated. They argued that the small number of deaths triggered by the vaccines is a fraction of the number of lives saved by preventing severe COVID-19 cases.
Gordon Wishart, Chief Medical Officer at Check4Cancer and visiting professor of cancer surgery at Anglia Ruskin University, echoed this sentiment. He acknowledged that the study raises important questions but emphasized the need for further analysis to understand the underlying causes of excess mortality. "It is hard to disagree with their conclusion that further analysis is required to understand the underlying causes of excess mortality to better prepare for the future management of pandemic crises," Wishart said.
Meanwhile, Coverse, a charity representing vaccine-injured Australians, highlighted the need for more studies into the non-specific effects of vaccines, such as potentially increasing susceptibility to other diseases. "Our government agencies and officials claim that the current excess mortality statistics do not implicate the COVID-19 vaccines as an identifiable driver, yet no studies are being undertaken into such non-specific effects," Coverse stated.
