Hoax – The clinical trials of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine resulted in more deaths in the vaccinated group than in the group that received placebo.
Analysis
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and the development of the first vaccines, disinformation has followed the process, generating doubts and, in many cases, uncertainty in the population. A new claim, which has been circulating in videos and messages on social media, reignites the debate about the safety of the immunizers, using supposed data from the clinical studies of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
The content in question is shared by individuals who oppose Covid-19 vaccines, stating that the Pfizer experiment demonstrated an alarming result: the number of deaths in the group that received the vaccine was supposedly higher than in the group that received the placebo.
The message not only calls into question the efficacy and safety of the vaccine, but also suggests that the substance used as a placebo was not inert, but rather a previous immunizer, with “effects and consequences.” The circulating text under analysis is the following:
More people died taking the vaccine than taking the placebo. Something people don’t know. In Pfizer’s own experiment. So, the experiment is done like this: you take one group of vaccinated people, give them the vaccine. You take another group of people, give them the vaccine, but with placebo, with salt water, boric acid water. Why? To see who dies more, who is more immunized. In the Pfizer experiment, more people died taking the vaccine than taking the placebo. And what if I tell you that the placebo is not even saline water, but an earlier vaccine. So it is already comparing with something that has effects, that has consequences.
Fact-Check
The claim that more people died in the vaccinated group than in the placebo group during the Pfizer trials is not new; it is disinformation that has already circulated and been debunked. To verify the veracity of the information, it is essential to answer three main questions: 1) Did more people die taking the vaccine than the placebo in Pfizer’s trials? 2) What were the results of the Pfizer vaccine trials? 3) Are the Covid-19 immunizers ineffective?
Did more people die taking the vaccine than the placebo in Pfizer’s trials?
No. The claim is false. According to the analysis documents from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US health regulatory agency, which reviewed the data from the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine clinical trial, a total of six participants died during the study, which involved about 44,000 volunteers. Of these six participants, only two had received the vaccine, while the other four were in the placebo group. The details of these deaths are detailed in the FDA informational documents.
What were the results of the Pfizer vaccine trials?
The FDA documents detail the causes of death of each individual to attest to the safety of the immunizer. The two participants who received the vaccine died due to causes unrelated to the drug: one from cardiac arrest 62 days after the second dose and the other from arteriosclerosis three days after the first dose. In the placebo group, deaths occurred due to myocardial infarction, hemorrhagic stroke, and two from unknown causes. The important thing is that the FDA made it clear that none of the deaths was considered related to the study intervention, and that the fatalities represent events that occur in the general population of those age groups, at a similar rate.
Are the Covid-19 immunizers ineffective?
In total opposition to the claim, Covid-19 immunizers not only solve the problem but have saved millions of lives worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) and various global health agencies attest to the efficacy and safety of the vaccines. Content that suggests the opposite, such as the hoax analyzed, is false and dangerous, as it can discourage vaccination, which is one of the main tools for the control of infectious diseases.
Conclusion
The claim that more people died in the Pfizer vaccinated group than in the placebo group during the clinical trials is incorrect. Official FDA data shows that four deaths occurred in the placebo group and two in the vaccinated group, and none of them were related to the vaccine. This disinformation is a recycling of hoaxes aimed at undermining confidence in immunizers, but it is crucial to recognize that vaccines have proven effective and safe, saving countless lives. The statement is, therefore, false.
Fake news ❌
Ps: This article is a suggestion from readers of a general fact-checking portal. If you want to suggest a topic to a fact-checking portal, please contact us via email and WhatsApp (link here: https://wa.me/556192755610)