FACT CHECK: Did The COVID-19 Vaccine Kill 80 Canadian Doctors?
A video shared on Instagram shows a newspaper front page claiming 80 Canadian doctors have died as a result of the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Verdict: False
There is no evidence for this claim. The newspaper responsible for the claim is known for spreading anti-vaccination misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Fact Check:
A survey released by the Kaiser Family Foundation has found 35 percent of parents oppose routine immunizations requirements, like measles, mumps and rubella, The New York Times reported. The survey comes as drug store chains are limiting the sale of children’s medications due to the impact of the “tripledemic” of infections, NBC News reported.
An Instagram video shows a newspaper from Druther’s claiming several vaccinated Canadian doctors are dead. The video features a man commenting on the article. “80 Canadian MDs VAXXED and Dead,” the headline reads.
“Look upon it,” a man says in the video. “Eighty Canadian meds — medical doctors — who is vaxxed and dead.”
There is no evidence for this claim, however. The article shown in the video was written by Druthers, a print paper known for spreading anti-vaccine conspiracies, according to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network and CBC. Causes of death unrelated to the vaccine are mentioned in the article, including heart attacks, cancer and “sudden” or “brief” illnesses.
Three doctors listed in the newspaper article worked at Trillium Health Partners (THP) while Reuters previously debunked a claim that their deaths were vaccine-related.
The rumour circulating on social media is simply not true. Their passings were not related to the COVID-19 vaccine.
We ask to please respect their families’ privacy during this difficult time.
— Trillium Health Partners (@THP_hospital) July 27, 2022
“The rumour circulating on social media is simply not true,” THP tweeted. “Their passings were not related to the COVID-19 vaccine.”
These three doctors died from lung cancer, gastric cancer and an unspecified illness, respectively, according to CTV News. (RELATED: Did The U.S. Military Destroy Blood Donations From Vaccinated Service Members?)
Check Your Fact investigated other people listed in the article and did not find the COVID-19 attributed to any deaths. Beverly Hattersley, 69, died suddenly following a heart operation, according to The Hamilton Spectator. Richard Cartier, 60, died in a mountain climbing incident, the Montreal Gazette reports. Bella Zawada, 43, was killed in a traffic collision, according to TBNewsWatch.
This is not the first time misinformation about vaccines has spread online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim the Pfizer CEO stepped down after saying MRNA vaccines are unsafe.
