Team Trump to Use Unverified Data to Blame Deaths on Covid Vaccine

The findings they plan to present appeared to be pulled from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS, which collects claims of adverse reactions and results of taking vaccines. But because the claims are self-reported and unverified, the system can sometimes be exploited by anti-vaccine activists. People sometimes submit fraudulent claims, or they deliberately present the data as verified in order to stoke fear around vaccines.

The CDC has previously emphasized that the database is not designed to determine a link between a shot and individual deaths. In fact, VAERS comes with a disclaimer that users must acknowledge they have read and understood before they can use the database: “VAERS reports alone cannot be used to determine if a vaccine caused or contributed to an adverse event or illness. The reports may contain information that is incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental, or unverifiable. Most reports to VAERS are voluntary, which means they are subject to biases.”

In 2021, the CDC condemned efforts to willfully misinterpret the data, asserting that statements that implied “deaths following vaccination equate to deaths caused by vaccination are scientifically inaccurate, misleading, and simply irresponsible.”