COVID-19 Vaccine Conspiracy Claims: Origins and Spread

Covid bullshit analysed by deep research

Jun 21, 2025

Claim 1: “18 million people have died from the COVID-19 vaccine”

Origin/Spread: This vastly exaggerated claim appears to have no credible basis. Early in the pandemic, anti-vaccine promoters misused VAERS data to allege millions of vaccine deaths. For example, a Sept. 2021 “Vaccine Death Report” by Zelenko and Sorenson falsely claimed millions had died (congress.gov). More recently, figures like Dr. Peter McCullough (Dec 2022) cited CDC data to claim ~16,000 U.S. vaccine fatalities (misleadingly) (apnews.com). In Jan 2024, podcaster Bret Weinstein amplified a bogus “17 million worldwide” death figure (factcheck.org); his claim was debunked as false by fact-checkers. The “18 million” variant appears to be a social-media mutation of these rumors, spread via fringe channels (Telegram groups, alt-media podcasts and Substacks) in mid-2025.

Timeline of propagation:
- Sept 2021: A self-published “Vaccine Death Report” (Zelenko/Sorenson) misinterprets VAERS and EudraVigilance data to claim “millions have died” (congress.gov). This is widely shared on social media.
- Dec 2022: Dr. Peter McCullough posts that “over 16,000 Americans died” shortly after vaccination, citing CDC/VAERS data out of context (apnews.com). His claim circulates online (Instagram, Twitter).
- Jan 2024: Bret Weinstein tells Tucker Carlson that “COVID vaccines killed 17 million people worldwide,” echoing the Zelenko report. FactCheck.org immediately labels this false (factcheck.org).
- June 2025: Viral tweets and posts restate “18 million deaths from vaccines,” likely riffing on Weinstein/McCullough. These appear on X/Twitter and fringe blogs, but have no scientific support.

Debunking: Public health experts and fact-checkers have repeatedly exposed these claims as baseless. The CDC and FDA note that raw VAERS reports are unverified and cannot prove causality (congress.gov). By late 2021, VAERS had only ~8,164 death reports (out of 390+ million U.S. doses) – a tiny fraction – and none were confirmed to be caused by vaccination (congress.gov). The CDC later identified only 9 confirmed vaccine-related deaths in the U.S. (for rare clotting events after J&J) (apnews.com). In short, millions of deaths is impossible; credible sources call it “pants on fire” misinformation (congress.gov) (factcheck.org). Epidemiological data show no unexplained mortality spike that could support an 18-million death toll.

Historical context: This claim echoes older vaccine hoaxes. For example, HPV vaccine conspiracies once falsely alleged mass infertility and deaths – debunked by WHO and PAHO (paho.org). Inflating VAERS counts is a long-standing anti-vaxx tactic. Health agencies emphasize that nothing in CDC/WHO data supports millions of vaccine deaths (apnews.com) (congress.gov).

Claim 2: “Life expectancy is reduced by 37% in people with two vaccine doses”

Origin/Spread: This claim traces to a 2024 Italian cohort study (Alessandria et al., Microorganisms 2024). The authors calculated a statistical metric (Restricted Mean Time Lost) suggesting the two-dose vaccinated group lost “37% of life expectancy” during the follow-up period (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Crucially, the study itself clarifies this refers to the limited (2-year) follow-up and extrapolating it to full lifespan yields only about 3.6 months loss (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Anti-vaccine bloggers and commentators seized on the “37%” figure as clickbait, omitting the narrow context. For example, a Feb 2025 cardiology paper by McCullough and Hulscher cited Alessandria et al., repeating the 37% claim (wjgnet.com). By mid-2025 the figure was trending on Twitter/X and niche media (Substack, Telegram) as “proof” that vaccines devastate longevity.

Timeline of propagation:
- Oct 2024: Alessandria et al. publish their study showing a 37% relative short-term life-expectancy loss in a single Italian province (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). They note this would be ~3.6 months if extrapolated to full life.
- Late 2024: European and U.S. anti-vax websites and podcasts highlight the study, ignoring caveats and rephrasing the result as “37% shorter life span.”
- Feb 2025: McCullough/Hulscher cite this result in World Journal of Cardiology, claiming “participants that received 2 doses lost 37% of life expectancy” (wjgnet.com).
- June 2025: Tweets and TikToks recirculate “37% life expectancy reduction” without nuance.

Debunking: Experts point out the study’s limitations. The 37% figure is a relative difference in a short, two-year period, not a literal 37% cut in lifespan (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). The authors themselves stress the extrapolation (3.6 months) was “for the sole purpose of giving the reader an idea” (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). The cohort was small and observational, with confounding factors (age, health status, testing etc.). No large-scale data show vaccinated people dying en masse or living far shorter lives. In fact, overall life expectancy trends in 2021–22 were driven by pandemic COVID, not vaccines (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Leading cancer and immunology specialists have confirmed there is no evidence of any new cancer-related or life-shortening phenomenon from the vaccines (contagionlive.com) (publichealthcollaborative.org).

Historical context: The misuse of a technical study for propaganda has parallels. During COVID, several flawed “mortality” studies were seized on to claim vaccines kill more than COVID – all have been debunked. Unlike robust vaccine trials and population studies, this Italian analysis is unrepresentative and far from peer consensus. No credible health agency endorses the 37% claim.

Claim 3: “COVID-19 vaccines have destroyed fertility”

Origin/Spread: Fears of vaccine-induced infertility surfaced early in the pandemic, fueled by viral social media posts. A key origin was a late-2020 petition by German anti-vax doctors (Wodarg and Yeadon) claiming the spike protein resembles “syncytin-1” (critical for placenta formation), implying vaccines could cause sterilityc (factcheck.org). This claim went viral on Facebook/Telegram despite being scientifically baseless. Throughout 2021 and beyond, celebrities and influencers (e.g. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Robert Malone) echoed similar myths. Posts on X/Twitter and Substacks spread anecdotes (e.g. supposed menstrual changes, miscarriages) as “evidence” of infertility.

Timeline of propagation:
- Dec 2020: German scientists Wodarg and Yeadon publish a petition to EU regulators alleging COVID vaccines contain “syncytin-1” and will cause female sterility (factcheck.org). Social media users amplify this fear.
- Feb 2021: Major reproductive health organizations (ACOG, ASRM, SMFM) release a statement: “no evidence” that approved COVID vaccines impact fertility (factcheck.org). Fact-checkers immediately debunk the syncytin-1 myth.
- 2021–2022: Anti-vax pages reuse HPV vaccine infertility tropes to claim COVID shots do the same. A viral Facebook meme compares spike protein to placental proteins (wrongly).
- 2023–2025: Some fringe blogs and podcasts (often mixing COVID and fertility agendas) continue raising “concerns” without evidence.

Debunking: All credible health experts reject these claims. Clinical trials and millions of real-world vaccinations have shown no effect on pregnancy rates or fertility. As early as Feb 2021, FactCheck.org noted that thousands of trial participants included pregnant women (some became pregnant) and no fertility issues were reported (factcheck.org). The CDC states there is “no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems” (cdc.gov). Recent studies confirm no change in menstrual cycles or sperm counts beyond minor, short-term fluctuations. Agencies like ACOG and ASRM explicitly reassure patients: “There is absolutely no reason to be worried about fertility with the COVID-19 vaccine.” (ama-assn.org).

Historical context: Infertility scares have long plagued vaccines. Decades ago HPV vaccines were falsely linked to teenage infertility (debunked by WHO) (paho.org). Similarly, the MMR vaccine was wrongly accused of “overloading” the immune system in children. The current COVID-fertility myth is part of this pattern: using reproductive fears to undermine vaccination, despite consistent scientific evidence to the contrary (factcheck.org) (cdc.gov).

Claim 4: “The vaccine causes a phenomenon known as ‘turbo cancer’”

Origin/Spread: The term “turbo cancer” was coined online around late 2022 by anti-vaccine agitators. It alleges that mRNA vaccines (some conspiracy theories invoke SV40 DNA fragments) trigger extremely aggressive cancers that progress abnormally fast (contagionlive.com). The idea likely arose from anecdotal social media posts about rapid cancer cases and a spurious mouse study circulated by fringe blogs. From 2022 through 2024, the meme spread via Telegram channels, vaccine-critical podcasts, and online newsletters. Some influencers also claimed “doctors are alarmed” by this (e.g. citing unverified reports of athletes dying of cancer).

Timeline of propagation:
- Fall 2022: A conspiratorial internet meme brands certain post-vaccine tumor recurrences as “turbo cancers,” blaming either spike protein or trace SV40 DNA (contagionlive.com). The hashtag #TurboCancer begins trending in anti-vax forums.
- Summer 2023: Health nonprofits and fact-checkers notice the false narrative. The Public Health Communications Collaborative alerts in Aug 2023 that “vaccine opponents” are touting “aggressive and end-stage cancers in young adults” as evidence (publichealthcollaborative.org).
- Aug 2024: A sensational (but unverified) story about “whistleblower doctors” dying in a plane crash revives turbo-cancer chatter on social media.
- Jan 2025: A Contagion magazine article summarises the myth, noting no epidemiological evidence supports it (contagionlive.com). Nonetheless, social posts continue sporadically.

Debunking: Medical experts uniformly dismiss “turbo cancer” as a baseless conspiracy. Cancer centers like Memorial Sloan Kettering explicitly call it a myth (publichealthcollaborative.org). Epidemiological data from high-vaccination countries show no unusual spike in cancer incidence or mortality post-vaccine (contagionlive.com). Contagion (a professional journal) notes that there is no plausible mechanism (mRNA can’t alter DNA, and spike protein degrades quickly) for such an effect (contagionlive.com). In reality, observed “increases” in some aggressive cancers during 2020–22 are attributed to delayed screenings and treatment disruptions from the pandemic, not vaccines. Independent fact-checkers (AFP, Reuters, USA Today) have repeatedly debunked specific turbo-cancer claims and citing peer-reviewed analysis (publichealthcollaborative.org) (contagionlive.com).

Historical context: The SV40 DNA scare echoes a long-ago polio vaccine rumor (SV40 contamination myths from the 1950s) (contagionlive.com). The broader pattern – linking vaccines to cancer – has appeared with other shots (e.g. spurious claims around flu or HPV vaccines causing tumors). These claims lack evidence and are refuted by cancer registry data worldwide (publichealthcollaborative.org) (contagionlive.com).

Claim 5: “Strokes in children are a common result of vaccination”

Origin/Spread: This claim stems from a misrepresented pediatric stroke awareness campaign. In May 2021, a Canadian charity (Achieving Beyond Brain Injury) ran bus ads saying “Kids have strokes too, know the signs” as part of Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month. Anti-vaccine accounts later seized on an image of such an ad, falsely claiming it proved strokes were surging due to COVID shots (apnews.com). The rumor recirculated whenever child vaccination was in the news. In April 2025, RFK Jr. mentioned “strokes” in children on TV interviews as if linked to the vaccine (factcheck.org), boosting the narrative. On social media (Facebook, X/Twitter, TikTok), posts continue to conflate unrelated stroke awareness ads with vaccine harm.

Timeline of propagation:
- May 2021: A bus advertisement campaign in Ontario (Canada) reads “Kids have strokes too” to raise public awareness of pediatric stroke (apnews.com). This is unrelated to vaccines.
- Late 2021: After FDA authorizes Pfizer for ages 5–11, anti-vax posters circulate the ad photo with captions implying it’s a warning about vaccine injuries (apnews.com). Fact-checkers (AP, Reuters) begin debunking.
- April 2025: RFK Jr. on Fox News and Dr. Phil repeats that “we’re seeing… strokes” in vaccinated kids (factcheck.org). The videos go viral online.
- May–June 2025: Tweets and Telegram posts reference “paediatric stroke claims” alongside vaccine news, as anti-vaxxers try to revive the myth.

Debunking: Multiple health authorities have clarified this is false. AP News and Reuters traced the viral image back to the 2021 awareness ad and confirmed “it has nothing to do with the COVID-19 vaccines” (apnews.com). Experts note that paediatric strokes are very rare (about 2 per 100,000 children per year) and there has been no increase reported after vaccination. CDC paediatricians say there is “no evidence… of an increased risk of strokes” post-vaccination (factcheck.org). Millions of children have received shots with no unexplained stroke clusters. In short, the uptick in paediatric strokes claimed by social media is a baseless misinterpretation of normal rare events.

Historical context: There is no real precedent of routine vaccination causing strokes in children. This claim appears to be a novel pandemic-era myth, though it echoes older tropes of linking any adverse event in children to vaccines without causal proof. Public health agencies continue to warn against jumping to conclusions from isolated anecdotes.

Claim 6: “Vaccinated individuals are ‘shedding’ harmful materials that sterilize or harm the unvaccinated”

Origin/Spread: The idea of “vaccine shedding” pre-dates COVID. It was long a fringe anti-vax claim for live vaccines (e.g. oral polio) and later misapplied to HPV shots. In the COVID era, social-media posts (2021–2022) falsely asserted that mRNA vaccines cause vaccinated people to emit spike proteins or nanoparticles that adversely affect others. These rumours often targeted pregnant women or teens, suggesting proximity to a vaccinated person could induce menstrual changes or infertility. Fringe doctors and conspiracy channels on Facebook/TikTok sometimes voice these fears (e.g. warning pregnant women to avoid vaccinated relatives).

Timeline of propagation:
- Early 2021: Dozens of viral posts claim “vaccine shedding” causes menstrual irregularities or miscarriage in bystanders. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram see memes urging women to avoid the vaccinated (reuters.com).
- April 2021: Reuters publishes a fact-check debunking shedding myths, quoting ACOG and CDC: “There is no way for a vaccinated person to ‘shed vaccine’” (reuters.com).
- 2021–2022: The conspiracy narrative shifts: e.g. social posts claim spike protein can “leach out” and accumulate in others – despite no known mechanism. Anti-vax Telegram groups propagate unproven “shedding event” stories.
- 2023–2025: While less prominent than before, some posts still mention “shedding” in contexts like booster debates. The myth has also been recycled to claim ingredients sterilize nearby people.

Debunking: Scientific experts and health agencies emphatically reject these notions. All COVID vaccines approved in the U.S. are non-live (mRNA or viral vectors that cannot replicate), so they cannot shed virus or vaccine components into the environment (reuters.com) (en.wikipedia.org) . The CDC explained that vaccinated cells make only harmless spike protein pieces and immediately break down the mRNA instructions (reuters.com). None of this is transmissible. Reuters summarises experts: “It is impossible for a person to transmit the vaccine to people they happen to be near” and such conspiracies “have nothing to do with science” (reuters.com). Likewise, Wikipedia notes “the spike protein generated by vaccination does not shed, and there is no evidence… the vaccines cause menstruation or fertility problems” (en.wikipedia.org). In summary, “shedding” of COVID vaccines is a myth without biological plausibility (reuters.com) (en.wikipedia.org).

Historical context: The shedding trope echoes concerns from the 20th century about live-virus vaccines (like smallpox or polio). Only live-attenuated vaccines (e.g. oral polio) can rarely shed virus in stools (en.wikipedia.org). But COVID mRNA and inactivated/non-replicating vaccines do not. Decades of vaccine safety data (for polio, measles, etc.) show negligible shedding risk, and none of the authorised COVID shots fit that category. Health agencies continue to assure the public that vaccinated people cannot “spread” vaccine effects to others (reuters.com) (en.wikipedia.org).

Sources: Reputable fact-checks, CDC guidance, and peer-reviewed data underpin all the above. For each claim, CDC/FDA officials and independent media (AP, Reuters, FactCheck.org) have published detailed debunks (apnews.com) (congress.gov) (factcheck.org) (reuters.com) (en.wikipedia.org). No evidence of any of these alleged harms has withstood scientific scrutiny.