The Epidemic of #DiedSuddenly

Across social media, prominent pundits and activists most on the right but some on the left tied Hamlin s injury to the Covid vaccine. Prior to 2021, athletes collapsing on the field was NOT a normal event. This is becoming an undeniable (and extremely concerning) pattern, tweeted Lauren Witzke, who was the Republican nominee in the 2020 Delaware Senate race. Social media was abuzz with similar speculation.

A troubled, uncertain public is increasingly turning to a single, ominous explanation for such events: Covid vaccinations, especially those from Pfizer and Moderna that use the new mRNA technology. 

On Twitter, an active subculture using variations of the hashtag #DiedSuddenly tracks such unexpected deaths a teenage basketball player dropping dead; a track star collapsing on the field; a young teacher dying of a heart attack in front of her class and implies that vaccines are the cause. A discredited anti-vaccine documentary, Died Suddenly, has reportedly been seen by millions. And the night of Hamlin s collapse, Fox News host Tucker Carlson, referencing a supposed study of sudden deaths among Europeans athletes, made the debunked claim that Since the vax campaign began, there have been more than 1,500 total cardiac arrests& and two-thirds of those were fatal.

Is there truth to any of these claims? Is the public right to be concerned? Are there actually more healthy people dropping dead than usual or is this simply confirmation bias at work? Can we dismiss anything that travels under the banner of died suddenly as conspiracy theorizing? And how should we understand why so many Americans are drawn to this explanation?

At least part of the answer to that last question is the serious information void on this subject which is what we want to remedy in this essay. One of us is a practicing cardiologist (John Mandrola). The other is a practicing hematologist and professor of epidemiology (Vinay Prasad). 

Cards on the table: We think the vaccines are an important tool for preventing severe illness and death among vulnerable people particularly the elderly and those with certain underlying medical conditions. But we have been concerned that our federal officials recklessly continue to push for multiple Covid shots for everyone five years old and up, despite the growing evidence that these vaccines may not be appropriate for all. We are also concerned about the way side effects of the vaccine, particularly among young men, have been downplayed. 

For these reasons and more, we believe in being transparent and honest with a public that has lost trust in our essential public health institutions.

via www.thefp.com