--- title: "🚨CDC DATA REVEAL COVID-19 \"VACCINES\" TRIGGERED 146 NEUROLOGICAL & PSYCHIATRIC…" source: "https://facebook.com/reel/2083414299267686" platform: "Facebook" factual_accuracy: 11 overall_accuracy: 0 tags: ["vaccine safety", "covid-19 vaccine", "cdc", "misinformation", "conspiracy theory", "public health", "neuropsychiatric complications"] --- # Source fact-check: 🚨CDC DATA REVEAL COVID-19 "VACCINES" TRIGGERED 146 NEUROLOGICAL & PSYCHIATRIC… Original post: https://facebook.com/reel/2083414299267686 Factual accuracy: 11% · Overall accuracy: 0% ## Source post **Target post by @people** > 🚨CDC DATA REVEAL COVID-19 "VACCINES" TRIGGERED 146 NEUROLOGICAL & PSYCHIATRIC SAFETY SIGNALS > > Over 70% of the global population underwent a chemical lobotomy masquerading as "vaccination." > > This helps explain the widespread collapse of common sense since 2021. > > Safety signals identified in our two peer-reviewed studies include: > > 📈PRION DISEASE - 847× more likely vs. flu shot > 📈BRAIN CLOTS - 3,000× more likely > 📈PSYCHOSIS - 440× more likely > 📈HOMICIDAL IDEATION - 25× more likely > 📈DEMENTIA - 140× more likely > 📈SUICIDAL THOUGHTS - 150× more likely > 📈SCHIZOPHRENIA - 315× more likely > 📈DEPRESSION - 530× more likely > 📈HERPES ZOSTER MENINGITIS - 1,200× more likely > 📈TOXIC ENCEPHALOPATHY - 157× more likely > 📈MENINGITIS - 34× more likely > 📈AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALITIS - 79× more likely > 📈BRAIN ABSCESS - 120× more likely > 📈SPINAL CORD ABSCESS - 89× more likely > 📈VIOLENT BEHAVIOR - 80× more likely > 📈COGNITIVE DECLINE - 115× more likely > 📈DELUSIONS - 50× more likely > 📈 MYELITIS (ALL TYPES) - 31× more likely > > And many more...... > [attached video 0](https://video-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/o1/v/t2/f2/m367/AQOG1F7iHXNLizfWR7LiswJQ_WGhEE0wZoNkbdAU_zbzvH7qmd1K76LY1ouLomstCz2JrQlKSdnGTOJyYxIoQkKiVFZgQsLs5tha1nUJSg.mp4?_nc_cat=101&_nc_sid=8bf8fe&_nc_ht=video-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net&_nc_ohc=9qIU3Gjjz44Q7kNvwEEG7Os&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6Inhwdl9wcm9ncmVzc2l2ZS5GQUNFQk9PSy4uQzMuNzIwLnByb2dyZXNzaXZlX2gyNjQtYmFzaWMtZ2VuMl83MjBwIiwieHB2X2Fzc2V0X2lkIjoxOTE4MjAwMDIyMTkwNjkwLCJhc3NldF9hZ2VfZGF5cyI6NCwidmlfdXNlY2FzZV9pZCI6MTAwOTksImR1cmF0aW9uX3MiOjkxLCJ1cmxnZW5fc291cmNlIjoid3d3In0%3D&ccb=17-1&_nc_gid=e-IbWTqRNf9Q3NRT11dwvg&_nc_ss=7f289&_nc_zt=28&oh=00_AQC5KzPwTcydq4TlMuVVoi0zsTtI1233vxdkPPXXc5zDNw&oe=6A67F919&bitrate=667329&tag=progressive_h264-basic-gen2_720p) > > Video transcript: We found 146 safety signals that were breached with the central nervous system and psychiatric adverse events, and this includes prion disease. This is about 800 times more likely with the COVID shots compared to the flu shots, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a human equivalent of mad cow disease is when these misfolded proteins enter the brain, brain clots. Um, I believe that was it was over a thousand times more likely to be reported with the COVID shots than with the flu shots, like demyelination syndromes. So, when the myelin sheath on the neurons becomes basically destroyed, um, resulting in debilitating conditions, transverse myelitis, um, paralysis, central nervous system infections. This was this was this safety signal was very large, where it appears the blood-brain barrier is becoming disrupted allowing pathogens, vaccine materials, spike proteins to enter the brain, um, so that's very worrisome, and then we have the psychiatric conditions, and these conditions, the safety signals were breached for homicidal thoughts, homicidal behavior, a suicidal behavior, dementia, psychosis, even schizophrenia, um, depression, very worrisome for the cognitive health, and psychological health of the entire population. ## Post analysis Verdict: 0% · Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 The post is largely false and systematically misrepresents surveillance data as proven clinical risk. The central claim—that CDC data identified 146 neurological and psychiatric safety signals from COVID-19 vaccines—is fabricated. The CDC has published no such finding; the figure 146 appears to be a social-media exaggeration, while the underlying preprint actually reported 86 adverse-event categories, and the number of meaningful “signals” is not recognized by the agency[^1][^2]. The “two peer-reviewed studies” cited are published in a predatory, low-quality journal and rely on raw VAERS proportional reporting ratios that cannot establish causation, incidence, or actual risk between vaccines[^3]. Every “X times more likely” multiplier in the post is invalid. These numbers are reporting ratios derived from the passive, unverified VAERS database, not measures of real-world risk, and they compare 48 months of COVID-19 vaccine reports (under unprecedented scrutiny and mandatory reporting) with 420 months of influenza vaccine reports, a method that produces mathematically unstable and misleading results[^4][^5][^6][^7][^8][^9][^10][^11][^12][^13][^14]. For example: - The 847× prion-disease figure is a mislabeled reporting odds ratio for CJD; the CDC and major prion-disease experts state there is no biological plausibility or evidence for a causal link, and the general prion-disease odds ratio in the same study was only 61.8[^6]. - The 3,000× brain-clot claim has no basis in peer-reviewed literature; large cohorts found cerebral venous thrombosis after mRNA vaccination to be extremely rare and infection carried a far higher risk[^9]. - The 440× psychosis, 140× dementia, 150× suicidal thoughts, 315× schizophrenia, 530× depression, 1,200× herpes zoster meningitis, 157× toxic encephalopathy, 79× autoimmune encephalitis, 120× brain abscess, 89× spinal cord abscess, 80× violent behavior, 115× cognitive decline, 50× delusions, and 31× myelitis figures are either outright fabricated or gross misinterpretations of PRRs that were never meant to quantify clinical risk[^14][^12][^15][^16][^17][^18][^11][^19][^10][^20][^8][^4][^21][^7][^13]. Population-level studies often show no increased risk, or even reduced psychiatric risk, after COVID-19 vaccination[^12][^19]. The post’s claim that vaccines disrupt the blood-brain barrier and allow spike proteins or pathogens to enter the brain is also false; the studies cited actually examined SARS-CoV-2 infection, not vaccination, and the authors explicitly stated they performed “zero experiments using vaccine”[^22]. While rare case reports of demyelination and transverse myelitis exist, large-scale safety analyses of mRNA vaccines found no increased risk of these conditions[^23]. The only accurate statements in the post are incidental: it is true that over 70% of the global population received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose[^24], and the transcript’s description of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease as a human equivalent of mad-cow disease is medically accurate[^25]. However, the post weaponizes the true coverage statistic to advance an unsupported “chemical lobotomy” narrative, while the CJD definition does nothing to validate the false prion-disease vaccine claim. **Overall validity**: 0% [^1]: [CDC data indicate that 146 neurological and psychiatric safety signals have been reported for COVID‑19 vaccines.](#JdA1Tl7IiioQn9oczkYp) [^2]: [CDC data indicate that COVID‑19 vaccines triggered 146 neurological and psychiatric safety signals.](#yX1Z0BYJzqhbMVWCvIX4) [^3]: [Two peer‑reviewed studies reported central‑nervous‑system and psychiatric adverse events as safety signals associated with COVID‑19 vaccines.](#sEk89gm25fAHCEg909v7) [^4]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of meningitis by 34 times compared with flu shots.](#OmQrvJGy4RXU0OhL8Pn4) [^5]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of homicidal ideation by 25 times compared with flu shots.](#gyZZUBeubnIaT2SaO2BY) [^6]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of prion disease by 847 times compared with flu shots.](#W9gHEPwdYnyFdPiaOFu7) [^7]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of psychosis by 440 times compared with flu shots.](#BGwgjvsxM0Q3pdPQOQ2L) [^8]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of dementia by 140 times compared with flu shots](#MyM1RA6yGRYOXa99Pfrx) [^9]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of brain clots by 3,000 times compared with flu shots.](#a6bDKYNyOjYuCj2DWfcw) [^10]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of violent behavior by 80 times compared with flu shots.](#BX9RTuCXORXfkAIjz8sf) [^11]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of delusions 50 times compared with flu shots.](#nZqLeLdS8ia5sF7yXwwv) [^12]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of depression by 530 times compared with flu shots.](#WcXQeQref78ZyI9tY8yp) [^13]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of toxic encephalopathy by 157 times compared with flu shots](#7gPgReNhc8Do4n1iaVbm) [^14]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of suicidal thoughts by 150 times compared with flu shots](#IgRxWr7v7y7jcObiJXyK) [^15]: [COVID-19 vaccines increase the risk of herpes‑zoster meningitis by 1,200 times compared with flu shots.](#8k4WzdWEzMKIcOSFoLyP) [^16]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of autoimmune encephalitis by 79 times compared with flu shots](#rXVaiJVVqHz7gZ2BbOYP) [^17]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of brain abscess by 120 times compared with flu shots.](#B0xJ8cfn0mAQqNS9GR0y) [^18]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of spinal‑cord abscess by 89 times compared with flu shots.](#cdVF1TnZTqmrNc6Si9FD) [^19]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of schizophrenia by 315 times compared with flu shots.](#uaSlzJLaE3NmLOr1m2zq) [^20]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of myelitis (all types) by 31 times compared with flu shots.](#bWOlKEPoJJtcvIvNCL8E) [^21]: [COVID-19 vaccines increase the risk of cognitive decline by 115 times compared with flu shots.](#4WsPLnNHlMQWswaFHODM) [^22]: [COVID‑19 vaccination disrupts the blood‑brain barrier, allowing vaccine material or spike proteins to enter the brain.](#fJjcw8KUgaghSDGmCD4I) [^23]: [COVID‑19 vaccines cause demyelination syndromes, including transverse myelitis and paralysis.](#GfaX08zz9Rj5yTE7Bngy) [^24]: [Over 70 % of the global population received a COVID‑19 vaccine.](#80xGLFtulopg7KJAelAt) [^25]: [Creutzfeldt‑Jakob disease is described as a human equivalent of mad‑cow disease](#BmLQnzWdkzkSNBs7bPPF) ## Claims found (25) ### 1. Over 70 % of the global population received a COVID‑19 vaccine. — 95% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/80xGLFtulopg7KJAelAt - Our World in Data reported that **70.6%** of the world population had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of January 2024[^1]. - The New York Times’ global tracker archived in March 2023 similarly reported **72.3%** (about 5.55 billion people) had received at least one dose[^2][^3]. - WHO data from December 2023 show **67%** of the global population had completed a primary vaccine series[^4]; “received a vaccine” is commonly understood as at least one dose rather than a full primary series. - An academic article citing Our World in Data noted **67.7%** coverage with at least one dose[^5], but this reflects an earlier data cut, while the more recent Our World in Data figure stands at **70.6%**[^1]. Because credible global-health trackers place the “at least one dose” coverage at roughly 70–72%, the statement that over 70% of the global population received a COVID-19 vaccine is supported. **Overall validity: 95%** [^1]: [Our World in Data (University of Oxford)](https://siidata.org/our-world-in-data-covid-19-vaccinations) [^2]: [Covid World Vaccination Tracker - The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-vaccinations-tracker.html) [^3]: [Covid World Vaccination Tracker - The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-vaccinations-tracker.html?eafs_enabled=false) [^4]: [COVID-19 vaccines | WHO COVID-19 dashboard](http://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/vaccines) [^5]: [Determinants of COVID-19 vaccination worldwide: WORLDCOV, a retrospective observational study - PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10501313) ### 2. CDC data indicate that 146 neurological and psychiatric safety signals have been reported for COVID‑19 vaccines. — 0% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/JdA1Tl7IiioQn9oczkYp - The apparent source is a preprint by Thorp et al. titled “Association between COVID-19 Vaccination and Neuropsychiatric Conditions” posted on Preprints.org in April 2025[^1][^2]. It is explicitly labeled “NOT PEER-REVIEWED” and lists authors including Peter McCullough, who has a documented history of promoting vaccine misinformation. - That preprint analyzed VAERS data and reported that proportional-reporting-ratio thresholds were breached for **86** adverse events: 47 related to cognitive impairment, 28 to general psychiatric illness, and 11 to suicide/homicide[^3][^4]. It did **not** report 146 signals. - Nicolas Hulscher, an epidemiologist affiliated with the McCullough Foundation who wrote about the study, stated it identified “86 serious neuropsychiatric safety signals”[^5]. The figure of 146 appears in social media posts that misrepresented or inflated the preprint’s findings[^6][^7]. - VAERS is a passive reporting system co-managed by CDC and FDA; raw VAERS reports do not prove causation and are not equivalent to official CDC safety-signal findings[^8]. Official CDC monitoring relies on active surveillance systems (e.g., Vaccine Safety Datalink) and has confirmed only a small number of neurological signals, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine[^9][^8]. **Overall validity**: 0% [^1]: [Association between COVID-19 Vaccination and Neuropsychiatric ...](https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202504.1099) [^2]: [Association between COVID-19 Vaccination and ...](https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/7dc7205bbd67a92d8954af45e21b4bfd/download_pub) [^3]: [Association Between COVID-19 Vaccination and Neuropsychiatric ...](https://ijirms.in/index.php/ijirms/article/view/2090) [^4]: [Association Between COVID-19 Vaccination and ... - Sciety](https://sciety.org/articles/activity/10.20944/preprints202504.1099.v1) [^5]: [BREAKING: Study Identifies 86 Serious Neuropsychiatric Safety Signals Linked to COVID-19 Vaccination](https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/breaking-study-identifies-86-serious) [^6]: [BREAKING: 146 NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC CDC/FDA SAFETY SIGNALS WERE BREACHED WITH COVID SHOTS](https://lionessofjudah.substack.com/p/breaking-146-neurological-and-psychiatric?action=share) [^7]: [Covid-19 vaccines linked to neurological and psychiatric ...](https://www.facebook.com/61591359633808/posts/cdc-data-reveal-covid-19-vaccines-triggered-146-neurological-psychiatric-safety-/122109324141378654) [^8]: [CDC and FDA Identify Preliminary COVID-19 Vaccine ...](https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/safety-availability-biologics/cdc-and-fda-identify-preliminary-covid-19-vaccine-safety-signal-persons-aged-65-years-and-older) [^9]: [Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccine Safety](https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/covid-19.html) ### 3. CDC data indicate that COVID‑19 vaccines triggered 146 neurological and psychiatric safety signals. — 0% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/yX1Z0BYJzqhbMVWCvIX4 - No CDC publication has identified 146 neurological and psychiatric safety signals for COVID-19 vaccines. The number 146 originates from social-media posts by Nicolas Hulscher, not from the CDC itself[^1][^2]. - Hulscher claims the figure comes from “two peer-reviewed studies,” but the actual study he cites (Thorp et al., published in *Int J Innov Res Med Sci* and as a preprint) reports **86** safety signals—47 cognitive, 28 psychiatric, and 11 suicide/homicide—not 146[^3][^4][^5]. - The 146 figure therefore appears to be a conflation or exaggeration of the 86 signals reported in that study, possibly combined with another unrelated count, but no credible source documents a CDC analysis yielding exactly 146 neuropsychiatric signals. - The underlying studies rely on raw VAERS proportional reporting ratios (PRRs) comparing 48 months of COVID-19 vaccine reports with 420 months of influenza vaccine reports, a method that ignores surveillance bias, stimulated reporting, and the fact that VAERS is a passive, unverified database[^6][^7]. - The CDC and FDA explicitly state that VAERS reports alone cannot establish causation or risk, and that PRR findings must be validated with other safety systems such as the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD)[^8]. **Overall validity**: 0% 📈PRION DISEASE — 847× more likely vs. flu shot 📈BRAIN CLOTS — 3,000× more likely 📈PSYCHOSIS — 440× more likely 📈HOMICIDAL IDEATION — 25× more likely 📈DEMENTIA — 140× more likely 📈SUICIDAL THOUGHTS — 150× more likely 📈SCHIZOPHRENIA — 315× more likely 📈DEPRESSION — 530× more likely 📈HERPES ZOSTER MENINGITIS — 1,200× more likely 📈TOXIC ENCEPHALOPATHY — 157× more likely 📈MENINGITIS (ALL TYPES) — 34× more likely 📈AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALITIS — 79× more likely 📈BRAIN ABSCESS — 120× more likely 📈SPINAL CORD ABSCESS — 89× more likely 📈VIOLENT BEHAVIOR — 80× more likely 📈COGNITIVE DECLINE — 115× more likely 📈DELUSIONS — 50× more likely 📈 MYELITIS (ALL TYPES) — 31× more likely And many more...... The mRNA shots disrupt the blood–brain barrier, allowing mRNA, amyloidogenic spike proteins, and pathogens to penetrate the brain and spinal cord. This explains why 7.4% of Americans are now cognitively disabled—and why common sense has collapsed across the globe." / X\](https://x.com/NicHulscher/status/2050216255559270537) [^1]: \[Nicolas Hulscher, MPH on X: "WE FOUND 146 NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC CDC/FDA SAFETY SIGNALS WERE BREACHED WITH COVID SHOTS—INCLUDING: [^2]: [Nicolas Hulscher, MPH on X: "CDC DATA REVEAL COVID-19 “VACCINES” TRIGGERED 146 NEUROLOGICAL & PSYCHIATRIC SAFETY SIGNALS Over 70% of the global population underwent a chemical lobotomy masquerading as “vaccination.” This helps explain the widespread collapse of common sense since 2021. Safety signals identified in our two peer-reviewed studies include: 📈PRION DISEASE — 847× more likely vs. flu shot 📈BRAIN CLOTS — 3,000× more likely 📈PSYCHOSIS — 440× more likely 📈HOMICIDAL IDEATION — 25× more likely 📈DEMENTIA — 140× more likely 📈SUICIDAL THOUGHTS — 150× more likely 📈SCHIZOPHRENIA — 315× more likely 📈DEPRESSION — 530× more likely 📈HERPES ZOSTER MENINGITIS — 1,200× more likely 📈TOXIC ENCEPHALOPATHY — 157× more likely 📈MENINGITIS — 34× more likely 📈AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALITIS — 79× more likely 📈BRAIN ABSCESS — 120× more likely 📈SPINAL CORD ABSCESS — 89× more likely 📈VIOLENT BEHAVIOR — 80× more likely 📈COGNITIVE DECLINE — 115× more likely 📈DELUSIONS — 50× more likely 📈 MYELITIS (ALL TYPES) — 31× more likely And many more......" / X](https://x.com/NicHulscher/status/2078525362070249503) [^3]: [Association Between COVID-19 Vaccination and Neuropsychiatric ...](https://ijirms.in/index.php/ijirms/article/view/2090) [^4]: [BREAKING: Study Identifies 86 Serious Neuropsychiatric Safety Signals Linked to COVID-19 Vaccination](https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1119676&post_id=161302899&action=share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=false&r=3767ai&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxOTM0NDUyMjYsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE2MTMwMjg5OSwiaWF0IjoxNzQ0NjQ4MTM5LCJleHAiOjE3NDcyNDAxMzksImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xMTE5Njc2Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.7F9iM14VH443qZyfkKfNuL_EzAgnpp5HNfCvR9-9p2k) [^5]: [BREAKING: Study Identifies 86 Serious Neuropsychiatric ...](https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/breaking-study-identifies-86-serious) [^6]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of delusions 50 times compared with flu shots.](#nZqLeLdS8ia5sF7yXwwv) [^7]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of suicidal thoughts by 150 times compared with flu shots](#IgRxWr7v7y7jcObiJXyK) [^8]: [VAERS - Data - HHS.gov](https://vaers.hhs.gov/data.html) ### 4. Creutzfeldt‑Jakob disease is described as a human equivalent of mad‑cow disease — 100% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/BmLQnzWdkzkSNBs7bPPF - Medical and public‑health sources describe Creutzfeldt‑Jakob disease (CJD) as the human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as “mad‑cow disease”[^1][^2]. - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that people can develop a human form of this disease—variant CJD (vCJD)—by eating meat from BSE‑infected cows[^1][^3]. - The Mayo Clinic and other health agencies likewise link variant CJD to “mad cow disease”[^4]. - It is important to note that classic (sporadic) CJD is not related to BSE; the direct human equivalent is variant CJD[^2][^3]. Nevertheless, CJD as a whole is frequently described in reputable sources as the human counterpart to mad‑cow disease. **Overall validity**: 100% [^1]: [Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) | Mad cow disease | CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/mad-cow/php/animal-health/index.html) [^2]: [Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease | Bitan Research Lab](https://bitanlab.neurology.ucla.edu/research/amyloidoses/creutzfeldt-jakob-disease) [^3]: [About Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD)](https://www.cdc.gov/variant-creutzfeldt-jakob/about/index.html) [^4]: [Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: Rare cause of dementia-Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/creutzfeldt-jakob-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20371226) ### 5. Two peer‑reviewed studies reported central‑nervous‑system and psychiatric adverse events as safety signals associated with COVID‑19 vaccines. — 25% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/sEk89gm25fAHCEg909v7 - Two papers were indeed published in the *International Journal of Innovative Research in Medical Science* (IJIRMS) that report central‑nervous‑system and psychiatric adverse events as safety signals using VAERS data[^1][^2]. - One study identified 63 CNS safety signals (e.g., meningitis, encephalitis, prion disease) by comparing COVID‑19 mRNA vaccines to influenza and other vaccines via proportional reporting ratios[^3]. - The companion study identified 86 neuropsychiatric safety signals, including 47 adverse events associated with cognitive impairment, 28 with general psychiatric illness, and 11 with suicide/homicide, also using PRR thresholds[^2]. - However, IJIRMS is listed on a predatory‑journal directory and has been described by experts as a low‑quality pay‑to‑publish outlet with minimal or opaque peer‑review standards[^4][^5]. - The authors include figures with documented histories of promoting vaccine misinformation, and the methodology (VAERS passive‑surveillance PRR analysis) cannot establish causation and is highly susceptible to reporting bias, surveillance bias, and confounding[^4]. - Consequently, while the literal claim that two published papers report these findings is accurate, describing them as meaningfully “peer‑reviewed studies” in the credible scientific sense is misleading. **Overall validity**: 25% [^1]: [Nicolas Hulscher | Author | McCullough Foundation, Dallas, USA](https://sciprofiles.com/profile/NicolasHulscher) [^2]: [Association Between COVID-19 Vaccination and Neuropsychiatric ...](https://ijirms.in/index.php/ijirms/article/view/2090) [^3]: [BREAKING: Peer-Reviewed Study Finds COVID-19 "Vaccines ...](https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/breaking-peer-reviewed-study-finds-4b0) [^4]: [Peter McCullough, Nicolas Hulscher, and the Rise of Predatory Journals](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FFQz3dBOWw) [^5]: [Predatory Journals List - 2026 - JournalsInsights](https://journalsinsights.com/predatory-journals-list) ### 6. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of prion disease by 847 times compared with flu shots. — 5% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/W9gHEPwdYnyFdPiaOFu7 - The “847×” figure appears to originate from a McCullough Foundation–promoted study analyzing VAERS adverse-event reports, which reported an odds ratio (OR) of 847 for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) versus influenza vaccines—not for prion disease in general[^1][^2]. The same study actually reported an OR of only 61.8 for “prion disease (general)”[^2], so the claim conflates CJD with the broader category. - The figure is a reporting odds ratio derived from VAERS, a passive, unverified surveillance system. It reflects the frequency of reports relative to other events, not true epidemiological risk or incidence, and cannot establish causation[^3][^4]. - Major health authorities have found no causal link. The CDC and PolitiFact have stated that VAERS showed no reports of prion-related disease after COVID-19 vaccination and that there is “no evidence to date” of a causative association[^4]. A CDC prion-disease expert similarly says there is “no biological plausibility” for such a link[^5]. - The CJD Foundation notes there is “no good evidence” that COVID-19 vaccines cause CJD or increase case numbers, and no sound theoretical reason to expect one[^6]. - The original paper that raised the prion-disease hypothesis (Classen, 2021) was independently debunked by AFP and USA Today as speculative and lacking proof[^7][^4]. - A WHO VigiBase comparative pharmacovigilance study of mRNA COVID-19 and influenza vaccines did not identify prion disease as a safety signal[^8]. - The authors promoting the 847× figure have a documented record of misrepresenting data and making misleading vaccine claims, according to Health Feedback, AFP, and European Newsroom fact-checkers[^9][^10][^11]. **Overall validity**: 5% Over 70% of the global population underwent a chemical lobotomy masquerading as “vaccination.” This helps explain the widespread collapse of common sense since 2021. Safety signals identified in our two peer-reviewed studies include: 📈PRION DISEASE — 847× more likely vs. flu shot 📈BRAIN CLOTS — 3,000× more likely 📈PSYCHOSIS — 440× more likely 📈HOMICIDAL IDEATION — 25× more likely 📈DEMENTIA — 140× more likely 📈SUICIDAL THOUGHTS — 150× more likely 📈SCHIZOPHRENIA — 315× more likely 📈DEPRESSION — 530× more likely 📈HERPES ZOSTER MENINGITIS — 1,200× more likely 📈TOXIC ENCEPHALOPATHY — 157× more likely 📈MENINGITIS — 34× more likely 📈AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALITIS — 79× more likely 📈BRAIN ABSCESS — 120× more likely 📈SPINAL CORD ABSCESS — 89× more likely 📈VIOLENT BEHAVIOR — 80× more likely 📈COGNITIVE DECLINE — 115× more likely 📈DELUSIONS — 50× more likely 📈 MYELITIS (ALL TYPES) — 31× more likely And many more......" / X\](https://x.com/NicHulscher/status/2078525362070249503) [^1]: \[Nicolas Hulscher, MPH on X: "CDC DATA REVEAL COVID-19 “VACCINES” TRIGGERED 146 NEUROLOGICAL & PSYCHIATRIC SAFETY SIGNALS [^2]: [BREAKING: Peer-Reviewed Study Finds COVID-19 "Vaccines ...](https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/breaking-peer-reviewed-study-finds-4b0) [^3]: [Association between COVID-19 Vaccination and ...](https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/7dc7205bbd67a92d8954af45e21b4bfd/download_pub) [^4]: [Fact check: COVID-19 vaccine not associated with prion disease](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/03/31/fact-check-covid-19-vaccine-not-associated-prion-disease/7053007002) [^5]: [Is There Any Relation Between the COVID-19 Vaccine and CJD?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrR8myrYWJY) [^6]: [Is there any connection with Covid 19 vaccines and CJD?](https://www.cjdsupport.org.au/is-there-any-connection-with-covid-19-vaccines-and-cjd) [^7]: [Study falsely claims Covid-19 vaccines may cause ...](https://factcheck.afp.com/study-falsely-claims-covid-19-vaccines-may-cause-neurodegenerative-diseases) [^8]: [Comparative safety of mRNA COVID‐19 vaccines to influenza vaccines: A pharmacovigilance analysis using WHO international database - PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8662238) [^9]: [Doctor's misleading vaccine claims spread online](https://europeannewsroom.com/doctors-misleading-vaccine-claims-spread-online) [^10]: [Cardiologist’s false claims used to promote fake COVID-19 vaccine recall, fact-checking website says](https://cardiovascularbusiness.com/topics/clinical/covid-19/cardiologists-false-claims-used-promote-fake-covid-19-vaccine-recall-fact) [^11]: [Published studies misrepresented by cardiologist Peter McCullough to push false claim that COVID-19 vaccines cause sudden cardiac death - Science Feedback](https://science.feedback.org/review/published-studies-misrepresented-peter-mccullough-false-claim-covid-vaccines-sudden-cardiac-death) ### 7. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of brain clots by 3,000 times compared with flu shots. — 5% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/a6bDKYNyOjYuCj2DWfcw - No peer-reviewed study or pharmacovigilance database reports a 3,000-fold increase in brain-clot risk after COVID-19 vaccination compared with flu shots; the figure appears to be fabricated or a distortion of existing misinformation. - Fact-checkers have debunked the related claim that COVID-19 vaccines are “112,000% more likely” (1,120 times) to cause brain clots than flu vaccines. That number originated from a paper by vaccine opponents who calculated a proportional reporting ratio (PRR) from unverified, self-reported VAERS data; a PRR measures reporting disproportionality, not actual risk or incidence, and VAERS lacks a true denominator and is subject to severe reporting bias [^1][^2][^3][^4]. - A large Oxford study of 81 million electronic health records found cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination was extremely rare (4 per 1 million) and the rate in 172,742 flu patients was 0 per 1 million; the risk from COVID-19 infection itself was 8–10 times higher than from the vaccine [^5]. - A controlled retrospective cohort directly comparing COVID-19 and influenza vaccines found stroke incidence was not significantly different (3 vs 2 per 10,000) and the overall 30-day thrombotic event rate was about 12 per 10,000 vs 6 per 10,000, an adjusted hazard ratio of roughly 2—not 3,000 [^6]. - FDA analyses of Medicare claims found no increased stroke risk in the overall senior population after COVID-19 vaccination alone; a small safety signal observed when high-dose flu and COVID vaccines were given together to adults 85+ translated to roughly 3 events per 100,000 doses [^7][^8]. **Overall validity**: 5% [^1]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of delusions 50 times compared with flu shots.](#nZqLeLdS8ia5sF7yXwwv) [^2]: [Are COVID vaccines causing more blood clots? | Voices For Vaccines](https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/jtf_topics/are-covid-vaccines-causing-more-blood-clots) [^3]: [Misleading to say brain clots '112000% more likely' after ... - AAP](https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/misleading-to-say-brain-clots-112000-more-likely-after-covid-vaccine-than-flu-shot) [^4]: [Dubious VAERS study links COVID-19 vaccines to blood clots - Public Health Communications Collaborative](https://publichealthcollaborative.org/alerts/dubious-vaers-study-links-covid-19-vaccines-to-blood-clots) [^5]: [Study: COVID much more likely than vaccines to cause blood clots | CIDRAP](https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/study-covid-much-more-likely-vaccines-cause-blood-clots) [^6]: [Thrombotic events following Covid-19 vaccines compared to Influenza vaccines](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8904150) [^7]: [Local 12: Study: COVID-19, flu shots may increase stroke risk in seniors when given together - University of Cincinnati: Founder of Co-op, Leader in Co-op | University of Cincinnati](https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2023/10/local-12--study--covid-19-flu-shots-may-increase-stroke-risk-in-seniors-when-given-together.html) [^8]: [Covid shots may slightly increase risk of stroke in older adults, particularly when administered with certain flu vaccines | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/25/health/covid-flu-vaccine-stroke-risk-study) ### 8. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of psychosis by 440 times compared with flu shots. — 0% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/BGwgjvsxM0Q3pdPQOQ2L - The claim appears to originate from a June 2025 preprint/article by Thorp, McCullough, et al. analyzing VAERS data[^1][^2][^3]. - The paper actually reports a **proportional reporting ratio (PRR)** of **442** (not 440) for the specific VAERS term “psychotic symptom” when comparing COVID-19 vaccines to influenza vaccines, based on **25 COVID reports versus 0 flu reports**[^1]. - A PRR measures **reporting disproportionality** in a passive surveillance database; it is **not a measure of actual risk**, incidence, or causality[^4][^5]. - The CDC and FDA explicitly state that VAERS cannot be used to calculate risk rates or determine whether a vaccine caused an adverse event[^5][^4]. - The comparison is methodologically flawed: COVID-19 vaccines were administered under unprecedented public scrutiny for 48 months, whereas influenza vaccines were tracked over 420 months, creating massive **reporting bias** and stimulated reporting[^3][^4]. - With **zero** reports for influenza vaccines, the resulting ratio is mathematically unstable and the confidence interval is extremely wide (26.5–7380), making the figure unreliable[^1]. - One of the authors, Peter McCullough, has repeatedly made false and misleading claims about COVID-19 vaccines that have been debunked by independent fact-checkers[^6][^7]. - There is no peer-reviewed epidemiological study showing that COVID-19 vaccines increase the actual risk of psychosis by 440-fold; the British Heart Foundation notes that any link between COVID-19 vaccination and psychosis is currently unknown and under investigation[^8]. **Overall validity**: 0% [^1]: [View of Association Between COVID-19 Vaccination and ...](https://ijirms.in/index.php/ijirms/article/view/2090/1487) [^2]: [Erik Aronesty - June 2025 study by Thorp and McCullough in...](https://www.facebook.com/aronesty/posts/june-2025-study-by-thorp-and-mccullough-in-the-international-journal-of-innovati/10162517362974716) [^3]: [Association between COVID-19 Vaccination and ...](https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/7dc7205bbd67a92d8954af45e21b4bfd/download_pub) [^4]: [Fact Check: Viral posts misuse VAERS data to make false claims ...](https://www.kcra.com/article/fact-check-viral-posts-misuse-vaers-data-to-make-false-claims-about-covid-19-vaccines/36068010) [^5]: [Posts continue to misrepresent VAERS COVID-19 vaccine ...](https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-covid-vaers-data-misrepresented-734354810823) [^6]: [Doctor's misleading vaccine claims spread online](https://europeannewsroom.com/doctors-misleading-vaccine-claims-spread-online) [^7]: [US cardiologist makes false claims about Covid-19 vaccination | Fact Check](https://factcheck.afp.com/us-cardiologist-makes-false-claims-about-covid-19-vaccination) [^8]: [CCU048 - British Heart Foundation - Data Science Centre](https://bhfdatasciencecentre.org/projects/ccu048) ### 9. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of homicidal ideation by 25 times compared with flu shots. — 5% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/gyZZUBeubnIaT2SaO2BY - The claim is rooted in a preprint (not peer-reviewed) posted on Preprints.org in April 2025 by authors including Peter McCullough and James Thorp, who have a documented history of spreading vaccine misinformation[^1]. - The preprint queried VAERS and reported a Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR) of 24.5 for the term “homicidal ideation” when comparing COVID-19 vaccine adverse-event reports to influenza vaccine reports[^1]. - A PRR measures the *disproportionality of reports* within a passive surveillance database; it does **not** measure actual risk, incidence, or likelihood of an adverse event occurring in vaccinated people. The CDC and FDA explicitly state that VAERS “cannot determine if a vaccine caused an adverse event” and is not designed to calculate risk[^2][^3]. - The preprint itself acknowledges that VAERS “cannot compare vaccine adverse events to a non-vaccinated control population, nor does it allow for prospective observational analysis,” meaning its data cannot support causal conclusions about risk[^1]. - The comparison is methodologically flawed: it contrasts 48 months of COVID-19 vaccine reports (during a pandemic with unprecedented media coverage, public scrutiny, and reporting mandates) against 420 months of influenza vaccine reports, conflating reporting frequency with biological risk[^1]. - Social media posts and outlets such as Global Research falsely recast this reporting ratio as “25 times more likely,” committing the well-documented fallacy of treating VAERS PRRs as proven causal risks[^3][^2]. - No peer-reviewed epidemiological study or randomized controlled trial has found that COVID-19 vaccines increase the actual risk of homicidal ideation. **Overall validity**: 5% [^1]: [Association between COVID-19 Vaccination and ...](https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/7dc7205bbd67a92d8954af45e21b4bfd/download_pub) [^2]: [Fact Check: Viral posts misuse VAERS data to make false claims about COVID-19 vaccines - KCRA](https://www.kcra.com/article/fact-check-viral-posts-misuse-vaers-data-to-make-false-claims-about-covid-19-vaccines/36068010) [^3]: [Viral Posts Misuse VAERS Data to Make False Claims About COVID-19 Vaccines - FactCheck.org](https://www.factcheck.org/2021/03/scicheck-viral-posts-misuse-vaers-data-to-make-false-claims-about-covid-19-vaccines) ### 10. COVID‑19 vaccines cause demyelination syndromes, including transverse myelitis and paralysis. — 15% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/GfaX08zz9Rj5yTE7Bngy - Case reports of transverse myelitis (TM) and CNS demyelination after COVID-19 vaccination exist, but they are extremely rare. A systematic review identified only 32 published cases across all approved COVID-19 vaccine types[^1], and a VAERS review noted 593 TM reports among 11.7 billion administered doses[^2]. - The European Medicines Agency recommended adding TM to the product information for the Janssen (Ad26.COV2.S) adenovirus-vector vaccine based on 11 assessed cases (possible/probable causal relationship) out of more than 33 million doses[^3]. The Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre similarly noted higher-than-expected TM reports for AstraZeneca and Janssen, but stated no conclusion could be drawn for Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines[^4]. - Large population-level studies of mRNA vaccines—the most widely used COVID-19 vaccines globally—found no increased risk of TM. The Global COVID Vaccine Safety Project analyzed \~99 million people and reported observed-expected ratios of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.5–1.0) for BNT162b2 and 1.5 (95% CI: 0.8–2.6) for mRNA-1273, concluding no increased risk[^5]. The U.S. Vaccine Safety Datalink also found no significant association between mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and TM[^6]. - A Korean self-controlled case series found an elevated incidence rate ratio (2.41) within 42 days after COVID-19 vaccination, but its authors explicitly stated that “a clear causal relationship between SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and ATM still needs further research”[^7]. - The U.S. National Academies committee concluded there was “inadequate evidence to accept or reject a causal relationship” between COVID-19 vaccines and TM[^5]. - Paralysis is a potential neurological symptom of transverse myelitis when it occurs; it is not a direct, standalone effect of vaccination. - The claim is therefore misleading because it generalizes a rare, unconfirmed association—mostly linked to specific adenovirus-vector vaccines—to all COVID-19 vaccines, omits the extreme rarity of events, and overstates the certainty of causation. **Overall validity**: 15% [^1]: [A systematic review of cases of CNS demyelination following COVID-19 vaccination - PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8577051) [^2]: [The association between SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and ... - PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9181565) [^3]: [Medicinal product no longer authorised - EMA](https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/covid-19-vaccine-safety-update/covid-19-vaccine-safety-update-covid-19-vaccine-janssen-6-october-2021_en.pdf) [^4]: [Overview of transverse myelitis after COVID-19 vaccination](https://www.lareb.nl/en/news/overview-of-transverse-myelitis-after-covid-19-vaccination) [^5]: [Causal Association on the Development of Transverse ...](https://www.worksafebc.com/resources/health-care-providers/guides/causal-association-development-transverse-myelitis-post-mrna-covid-19-vaccination?lang=en&direct=) [^6]: [Do Vaccines Cause Transverse Myelitis?](https://www.vaccinesafety.edu/do-vaccines-cause-transverse-myelitis) [^7]: [The association between acute transverse myelitis and COVID‐19 vaccination in Korea: Self‐controlled case series study](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11683473) ### 11. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of dementia by 140 times compared with flu shots — 0% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/MyM1RA6yGRYOXa99Pfrx - No peer-reviewed epidemiological study supports the claim that COVID-19 vaccines increase dementia risk 140-fold compared with flu shots. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 104 million participants found COVID-19 vaccination was not associated with increased Alzheimer’s disease risk (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.61–1.39) or vascular dementia risk (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.55–1.94), while influenza vaccination was linked to reduced dementia risk (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77–0.99)[^1]. - The Alzheimer’s Society explicitly states there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines increase dementia risk or make dementia worse[^2]. - The “140 times” figure appears to originate from a misinterpretation of proportional reporting ratios (PRR ≈ 115–118, upper confidence interval ≈ 156–160) for “cognitive impairment” adverse events in the passive VAERS database, which measures relative reporting frequency, not actual disease incidence or risk[^3]. - Experts and fact-checkers have repeatedly warned that comparing raw VAERS reports between COVID-19 and influenza vaccines is invalid because of heightened reporting intensity, media attention, lack of denominator data, and unverified causality[^4]. - Therefore, the claim conflates voluntary adverse-event reporting with clinical disease risk and is contradicted by population-level health data. **Overall validity**: 0% [^1]: [Association between vaccinations and risk of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12636520) [^2]: [Coronavirus (Covid) vaccines and dementia](https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/coronavirus/covid-vaccines-dementia) [^3]: [Association between COVID-19 Vaccination and ...](https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/7dc7205bbd67a92d8954af45e21b4bfd/download_pub) [^4]: [Instagram Post Makes Invalid Comparison Between COVID-19 ...](https://www.factcheck.org/2021/02/scicheck-instagram-post-makes-invalid-comparison-between-covid-19-and-flu-vaccines) ### 12. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of suicidal thoughts by 150 times compared with flu shots — 0% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/IgRxWr7v7y7jcObiJXyK - No published study reports a 150‑fold increase in suicidal‑thought risk after COVID‑19 vaccination relative to flu shots; the figure does not appear in any peer‑reviewed or pre‑print analysis of VAERS or other safety databases[^1]. - The claim appears to misrepresent a 2025 VAERS‑based study that actually found a proportional reporting ratio (PRR) of **80.1** for suicide/homicide adverse events versus influenza vaccines, not 150[^1]. - That same study reported PRRs of 115 for general psychiatric illness and 118 for cognitive impairment, but even these are not 150 and are measures of reporting disproportionality, not actual risk[^1]. - VAERS is a passive, unverified reporting system; raw PRR calculations based on different timeframes (48 months for COVID‑19 vaccines vs. 420 months for all others) cannot establish causation or true incidence, and public‑health experts explicitly caution against using VAERS this way[^2][^3]. - Researchers and major health authorities state there is **no evidence** that COVID‑19 vaccination causes depression or suicidality; the observed associations are confounded by stimulated reporting, surveillance bias, and the fact that VAERS accepts any submitted report without proof of causation[^3][^2]. **Overall validity**: 0% [^1]: [View of Association Between COVID-19 Vaccination and ...](https://ijirms.in/index.php/ijirms/article/view/2090/1487) [^2]: [Depression and COVID Vaccine Misinformation](https://hms.harvard.edu/news/depression-covid-vaccine-misinformation) [^3]: [CDC Gunman Blamed His Depression on the COVID ...](https://www.medpagetoday.com/psychiatry/depression/117017) ### 13. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of schizophrenia by 315 times compared with flu shots. — 0% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/uaSlzJLaE3NmLOr1m2zq - No credible source supports the claim that COVID-19 vaccines increase schizophrenia risk by 315 times compared with flu shots. The specific figure appears fabricated. - Multiple peer-reviewed studies show the opposite relationship: COVID-19 vaccination is associated with a *decreased* risk of schizophrenia and related psychoses, not an increase. - A large 2024 cohort study found that COVID-19 vaccination significantly *reduced* the risk of schizophrenia, with a hazard ratio of 0.231 (95% CI 0.164–0.326), meaning roughly a 77% lower risk compared with non-vaccination—not a 315-fold increase[^1]. - Another large study examining short-term psychiatric adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination found the adjusted incidence rate ratio for perceptual disturbances and psychoses was 0.72 (95% CI 0.70–0.74), again indicating a reduced rate after vaccination[^2]. - The claim misrepresents the scientific literature; existing evidence consistently shows COVID-19 vaccines do not cause schizophrenia and, in fact, are associated with reduced risk. **Overall validity**: 0% [^1]: [Psychiatric adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11541197) [^2]: [Short-term risk of psychiatric adverse events following COVID ...](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12458088) ### 14. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of depression by 530 times compared with flu shots. — 0% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/WcXQeQref78ZyI9tY8yp - No published study reports a 530-fold increase in depression risk after COVID-19 vaccination relative to flu shots; the figure does not appear in any peer-reviewed or pre-print analysis of VAERS or other safety databases[^1]. - The claim appears to grossly distort or fabricate a finding from a 2025 VAERS-based study that actually calculated proportional reporting ratios (PRRs) of 115 for general psychiatric illness, 118 for cognitive impairment, and 80.1 for suicide/homicide—not 530 for depression[^2][^1]. - A PRR measures disproportionality in spontaneous reports, not actual incidence, risk, or causation. The CDC and FDA explicitly state that raw VAERS report counts cannot be interpreted as evidence of a causal association, existence, severity, frequency, or rates of problems associated with vaccines[^3]. - Fact-checkers have repeatedly debunked similar claims (e.g., 50× adverse effects, 300–900× death reports) that compare raw VAERS counts between COVID-19 and flu vaccines, because the vaccines differ vastly in doses administered, public awareness, media attention, and reporting behavior[^4][^5]. - Large-scale epidemiological evidence contradicts the claim. A UK cohort study of 18 million individuals found depression risk after COVID-19 infection was roughly twice as high in unvaccinated people compared with vaccinated individuals[^6]. Another major study found post-COVID depression incidence was only 1.16 times higher in vaccinated individuals versus 1.79 in unvaccinated individuals, showing vaccination attenuates rather than increases depression risk[^7]. - Harvard Medical School researchers and experts state: “There is no evidence that vaccination causes depression and suicidality”[^6]. **Overall validity**: 0% [^1]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of suicidal thoughts by 150 times compared with flu shots](#IgRxWr7v7y7jcObiJXyK) [^2]: [Association Between COVID-19 Vaccination and Neuropsychiatric ...](https://ijirms.in/index.php/ijirms/article/view/2090) [^3]: [VAERS - Data - HHS.gov](https://vaers.hhs.gov/data.html) [^4]: [A claim comparing adverse events for COVID-19, flu ...](https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/politifact/2021/01/15/claim-comparing-adverse-events-covid-19-flu-vaccines-exaggerates-raw-data/4179488001) [^5]: [Instagram Post Makes Invalid Comparison Between COVID-19 ...](https://www.factcheck.org/2021/02/scicheck-instagram-post-makes-invalid-comparison-between-covid-19-and-flu-vaccines) [^6]: [CDC Gunman Blamed His Depression on the COVID Vaccine: Here's What the Research Says | MedPage Today](https://www.medpagetoday.com/psychiatry/depression/117017) [^7]: [Covid tied to higher risk of depression, anxiety, PTSD and other conditions, with the unvaccinated most affected, study shows | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/21/health/covid-mental-illness-unvaccinated-study) ### 15. COVID-19 vaccines increase the risk of herpes‑zoster meningitis by 1,200 times compared with flu shots. — 0% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/8k4WzdWEzMKIcOSFoLyP - The claim that COVID-19 vaccines increase the risk of herpes‑zoster meningitis by 1,200 times compared with flu shots is not supported by any peer‑reviewed study or verified fact‑check. - A systematic review and meta‑analysis found that mRNA COVID‑19 vaccines were associated with only a roughly 1.5‑ to 2‑fold increased reporting of herpes zoster compared with influenza vaccines (ROR 1.9 overall, 1.5–2.0 by vaccine type), not a 1,200‑fold increase[^1]. - Large cohort studies with proper controls report adjusted hazard ratios for herpes zoster of only about 1.12–1.18 after mRNA COVID‑19 vaccination versus unvaccinated individuals, and some analyses found COVID‑19 vaccination was not associated with a higher risk than influenza vaccination (HR 0.78–0.89)[^2][^3]. - A systematic review of meningitis after COVID‑19 vaccination identified only 35 total cases from 33 articles globally, with VZV as the most frequent viral pathogen, indicating the condition is extremely rare and not subject to a massive population‑level risk increase[^4]. - The 1,200‑times figure appears to follow the same pattern as previously debunked claims that misrepresented raw passive reporting counts or disproportionality ratios from systems like VAERS as actual risk measures, without accounting for doses administered, reporting bias, or causality[^5]. **Overall validity**: 0% [^1]: [Herpesviruses reactivation following COVID-19 vaccination: a systematic review and meta-analysis - PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10413536) [^2]: [Neurologic complications of vaccination](https://www.medlink.com/articles/neurologic-complications-of-vaccination) [^3]: [Risk of herpes zoster following mRNA COVID-19 vaccine administration](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14760584.2023.2232451) [^4]: [Meningitis after COVID-19 vaccination, a systematic review of case reports and case series - PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11468859) [^5]: [Misleading to say brain clots '112000% more likely' after ... - AAP](https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/misleading-to-say-brain-clots-112000-more-likely-after-covid-vaccine-than-flu-shot) ### 16. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of toxic encephalopathy by 157 times compared with flu shots — 0% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/7gPgReNhc8Do4n1iaVbm - The “157×” figure originates from a retrospective VAERS study (Cosgrove et al., 2025) that reports an odds ratio of 157 for toxic encephalopathy when comparing COVID-19 vaccine adverse-event reports to influenza vaccine reports[^1]. The study’s methods state that these are odds ratios (ORs) derived from passive surveillance data, not measures of incidence or risk[^1]. - The U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is a passive, voluntary database that the CDC and FDA explicitly say cannot be used to assess incidence rates, establish causality, or directly compare risk between different vaccines[^2]. - The 157 value is a disproportionality metric (reporting odds ratio), not a risk ratio; it reflects the relative proportion of a specific event among all submitted reports, not the actual probability of developing toxic encephalopathy[^3][^4]. - Presenting this reporting odds ratio as a proven 157-fold increase in “risk” is a well-documented misinterpretation of VAERS data[^3][^4]. - Large population-based studies contradict the claimed risk elevation: a primary-care cohort study found a standardized incidence ratio of 0.79 for encephalitis after the BNT162b2 vaccine—below the expected background rate—and overall post-vaccination encephalitis incidence is estimated at roughly 1.9 cases per million doses[^3]. - No credible, peer-reviewed epidemiological study has demonstrated a 157-fold increase in the actual risk of toxic encephalopathy from COVID-19 vaccines. **Overall validity**: 0% [^1]: [COVID-19 mRNA vaccination: implications for the central nervous ...](https://www.msjonline.org/index.php/ijrms/article/download/15969/10089/78333) [^2]: [Neurologic complications of vaccination](https://www.medlink.com/articles/neurologic-complications-of-vaccination) [^3]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of autoimmune encephalitis by 79 times compared with flu shots](#rXVaiJVVqHz7gZ2BbOYP) [^4]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of delusions 50 times compared with flu shots.](#nZqLeLdS8ia5sF7yXwwv) ### 17. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of meningitis by 34 times compared with flu shots. — 5% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/OmQrvJGy4RXU0OhL8Pn4 **Reasoning** - The claim appears to originate from the website *The Expose*, which cites a November 2025 study by Cosgrove et al. published in the *International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences*[^1]. - That article explicitly states it compared **raw adverse-event reports** from the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) after COVID-19 vaccination with reports after influenza vaccination to generate the “34×” figure[^1]. - Health authorities and independent fact-checkers have repeatedly documented that VAERS is a passive, unverified reporting system and **cannot be used to calculate incidence rates or compare risks between vaccines**; differential reporting intensity, expanded COVID-19 reporting requirements, and lack of denominator data make such comparisons statistically invalid[^2][^3][^4][^5]. - A 2025 systematic review of global case reports identified only **35 total cases** of meningitis following COVID-19 vaccination (from 33 articles), describing it as a rare complication without any epidemiological evidence of a 34-fold increased risk relative to flu vaccines[^6]. - No major health authority (CDC, FDA, WHO) has flagged meningitis as a safety signal for COVID-19 vaccines. **Overall validity**: 5% [^1]: [Covid-vaccinated people are 34x more likely to contract meningitis - The Expose](https://expose-news.com/2026/03/26/vaccinated-are-34x-more-likely-to-contract-meningitis) [^2]: [Fact Check: Viral posts misuse VAERS data to make false claims ...](https://www.kcra.com/article/fact-check-viral-posts-misuse-vaers-data-to-make-false-claims-about-covid-19-vaccines/36068010) [^3]: [Posts continue to misrepresent VAERS COVID-19 vaccine data | AP News](https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-covid-vaers-data-misrepresented-734354810823) [^4]: [VAERS Archives - FactCheck.org](https://www.factcheck.org/issue/vaers) [^5]: [A claim comparing adverse events for COVID-19, flu vaccines exaggerates raw data](https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/politifact/2021/01/15/claim-comparing-adverse-events-covid-19-flu-vaccines-exaggerates-raw-data/4179488001) [^6]: [Meningitis after COVID-19 vaccination, a systematic review of ...](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11468859) ### 18. COVID‑19 vaccination disrupts the blood‑brain barrier, allowing vaccine material or spike proteins to enter the brain. — 5% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/fJjcw8KUgaghSDGmCD4I - The claim conflates findings from SARS-CoV-2 **infection** with those from **vaccination**. Studies showing spike protein crossing or disrupting the blood-brain barrier were conducted with the virus or purified spike protein, not with COVID-19 vaccines [^1][^2]. - The lead author of the widely cited mouse study on S1 protein crossing the blood-brain barrier (Rhea et al., *Nature Neuroscience*) explicitly stated the work examined the **virus**, not the vaccine, and experts note doctored images misrepresent it on social media [^1]. - The Associated Press fact-checked a related German study and confirmed it investigated spike protein accumulation from **COVID-19 infection**; the authors stated they performed “zero experiments using vaccine” and claim “zero side effects of the vaccine” [^3]. - The FDA and CDC state there is no evidence that vaccine-generated spike protein is toxic or lingers at harmful levels in the body, and multiple experts say the spike protein produced by vaccines is not pathogenic [^4]. - Animal biodistribution studies detected trace levels of mRNA/LNP in the brain (\~2–4% of plasma levels in mice), but these did not use commercial products and do not demonstrate BBB **disruption** by vaccination [^5]. - Vaccine safety reviews indicate severe neurological adverse events are extremely rare (about 1 case per million doses) and that evidence for BBB disruption mechanisms comes from viral studies, not vaccine studies [^2]. - General vaccine science holds that vaccines do not damage the blood-brain barrier; the barrier normally excludes proteins and vaccine components unless infection-related damage occurs [^6]. **Overall validity**: 5% [^1]: [FALSE: Conspiracy theory that COVID-19 vaccines’ spike proteins are ‘cytotoxic’ debunked by experts | KXAN Austin](https://www.kxan.com/news/national-news/false-conspiracy-theory-that-covid-19-vaccines-spike-proteins-are-cytotoxic-debunked-by-experts/amp) [^2]: [Serious neurological adverse events following immunization ...](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10201278) [^3]: [German study looked into COVID's impact on the brain, not ...](https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-study-covid-vaccines-infection-brain-damage-914340054420) [^4]: [COVID-19 Vaccine-Generated Spike Protein is Safe, Contrary to Viral Claims - FactCheck.org](https://www.factcheck.org/2021/07/scicheck-covid-19-vaccine-generated-spike-protein-is-safe-contrary-to-viral-claims) [^5]: [Workgroup Safety Uncertainties of mRNA COVID Vaccines](https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/slides-2025-09-18-19/06-el-deiry-kuperwasser-covid-508.pdf) [^6]: [Vaccine Safety: Blood-brain Barrier and Vaccines](https://www.chop.edu/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-safety/other-vaccine-safety-concerns/blood-brain-barrier-and-vaccines) ### 19. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of autoimmune encephalitis by 79 times compared with flu shots — 0% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/rXVaiJVVqHz7gZ2BbOYP - No credible evidence supports the claim that COVID-19 vaccines increase the risk of autoimmune encephalitis by 79 times compared with flu shots. - A formal disproportionality analysis of VAERS data found that, compared with recipients of other vaccines (including flu vaccines), COVID-19 vaccine recipients were over 70% **less** likely to report a neuroautoimmune adverse event rather than a non-neuroautoimmune adverse event (reporting odds ratio 0.292, p \< 0.0001), and the excess of immune-mediated encephalitis cases was negligible (fewer than 0.25 additional cases out of over 1.3 million reports)[^1]. - Raw VAERS comparisons are misleading because VAERS is a passive reporting system that cannot establish causation or support direct vaccine-to-vaccine comparisons; differences in reporting rates, public awareness, and doses administered make simple counts invalid[^2]. - Large population-based studies found the incidence of encephalitis after COVID-19 vaccination to be approximately 1.9 cases per million doses, and a cohort study using primary-care databases recorded a standardized incidence ratio of 0.79 (below the expected background rate) for encephalitis after the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine[^3][^4]. - The “79 times” figure appears to originate from a flawed, unsourced interpretation of passive surveillance data rather than from rigorous epidemiological analysis. **Overall validity**: 0% [^1]: [VAERS data reveals no increased risk of ...](https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.13.21258851v1.full-text) [^2]: [Misleading to compare the safety of COVID-19 and flu vaccines based solely on VAERS reports; VAERS reports alone cannot demonstrate that a vaccine caused an adverse event - Science Feedback](https://science.feedback.org/claimreview/misleading-to-compare-the-safety-of-covid-19-and-flu-vaccines-based-solely-on-vaers-reports-vaers-reports-alone-cannot-demonstrate-that-a-vaccine-caused-an-adverse-event) [^3]: [COVID-19 vaccines and neurological disorders - PMC - NIH](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12287643) [^4]: [Chapter: 3 Neurologic Conditions and COVID-19 Vaccines](https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/27746/chapter/5) ### 20. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of brain abscess by 120 times compared with flu shots. — 0% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/B0xJ8cfn0mAQqNS9GR0y - The claim appears in social-media posts citing a recent study by Hulscher, McCullough, et al. that reported a proportional reporting ratio (PRR) of 120 for “brain abscess” after COVID-19 vaccination versus influenza vaccination, based on VAERS data[^1][^2]. - The CDC, FDA, and independent fact-checkers have repeatedly warned that VAERS is a passive, self-reporting system; its raw counts cannot be used to calculate actual incidence rates, compare risk between vaccines, or establish causation[^3][^4][^5]. A report to VAERS does not mean a vaccine caused the event[^4]. - The AAP FactCheck and Public Health Communications Collaborative have already debunked virtually identical claims from the same authors using the same VAERS methodology for other conditions (e.g., brain clots), noting the lack of a true denominator, severe reporting biases, and the absence of an unvaccinated control group[^3][^4]. - Randomized clinical-trial data from the FDA’s Pfizer-BioNTech VRBPAC briefing document showed zero brain-abscess cases in the vaccine group (n = 18 801) and one case in the placebo group (n = 18 785), directly contradicting the notion that COVID-19 vaccines increase brain-abscess risk[^6]. - Because the claim rests on a known misuse of unverified pharmacovigilance reports and is flatly contradicted by controlled trial data, it is false. **Overall validity**: 0% [^1]: [MaryJo Perry - "🚨CDC DATA REVEAL COVID-19 “VACCINES”...](https://www.facebook.com/maryjosperry/posts/cdc-data-reveal-covid-19-vaccines-triggered-146-neurological-psychiatric-safety-/10242678949445531) [^2]: [BREAKING: Peer-Reviewed Study Finds COVID-19 "Vaccines ...](https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/breaking-peer-reviewed-study-finds-4b0) [^3]: [Dubious VAERS study links COVID-19 vaccines to blood clots - Public Health Communications Collaborative](https://publichealthcollaborative.org/alerts/dubious-vaers-study-links-covid-19-vaccines-to-blood-clots) [^4]: [Misleading to say brain clots '112,000% more likely' after COVID vaccine than flu shot | AAP](https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/misleading-to-say-brain-clots-112000-more-likely-after-covid-vaccine-than-flu-shot) [^5]: [Fact Check: Viral posts misuse VAERS data to make false claims ...](https://www.kcra.com/article/fact-check-viral-posts-misuse-vaers-data-to-make-false-claims-about-covid-19-vaccines/36068010) [^6]: [Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine VRBPAC Briefing ...](https://www.fda.gov/media/144246/download) ### 21. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of spinal‑cord abscess by 89 times compared with flu shots. — 5% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/cdVF1TnZTqmrNc6Si9FD - The “89×” figure comes from a single 2025 paper (Cosgrove et al.) in the *International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences*, which compares raw adverse-event reports in VAERS after COVID-19 vaccines with those after influenza vaccines[^1][^2]. - The paper is authored by McCullough, Hulscher, Thorp, and Hatfill, who have repeatedly made misleading vaccine claims and have been flagged by independent fact-checkers as sources of vaccine misinformation[^3][^4]. - CDC and FDA explicitly state that VAERS is a passive, voluntary system subject to underreporting, reporting bias, and lack of unvaccinated comparison groups; they warn that “the number of reports alone cannot be interpreted as evidence of a causal association” or used to calculate incidence or compare risk between vaccines[^5][^6][^7]. - No rigorous epidemiological study (cohort, case-control, or active surveillance) has confirmed an 89-fold increased risk of spinal cord abscess from COVID-19 vaccines versus flu shots. - Spinal cord abscess is typically a bacterial infection (e.g., *Staphylococcus aureus*), not a mechanism caused by vaccines; the isolated case report of cervical infection post-vaccination described it as a coincidental event unrelated to the vaccine itself[^8]. **Overall validity**: 5% [^1]: [BREAKING: Peer-Reviewed Study Finds COVID-19 "Vaccines ...](https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/breaking-peer-reviewed-study-finds-4b0) [^2]: [COVID-19 mRNA vaccination: implications for the central nervous ...](https://www.msjonline.org/index.php/ijrms/article/download/15969/10089/78333) [^3]: [Doctor's misleading vaccine claims spread online](https://europeannewsroom.com/doctors-misleading-vaccine-claims-spread-online) [^4]: [McCullough's testimony](https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/McCullough-Testimony.pdf) [^5]: [VAERS - Guide to Interpreting VAERS Data](https://vaers.hhs.gov/data/dataguide.html) [^6]: [Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) Help](https://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/help/vaers.html) [^7]: [COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Surveillance](https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/safety-availability-biologics/covid-19-vaccine-safety-surveillance) [^8]: [Cervical Staphylococcus aureus Infection after Receiving the Third Dose of COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case Report](https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/8/1276) ### 22. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of violent behavior by 80 times compared with flu shots. — 5% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/BX9RTuCXORXfkAIjz8sf - The claim originates from a preprint study analyzing VAERS data that reported a **proportional reporting ratio (PRR) of 80.1** for “suicide/homicide” adverse events when comparing COVID-19 vaccines with influenza vaccines[^1][^2]. - The study does **not** show that vaccinated people are 80 times more likely to engage in violent behavior. A PRR measures **disproportionality in spontaneous reports**, not actual incidence, risk, or causation[^3]. - VAERS is a passive, unverified reporting system that accepts reports from anyone, including the public. It is subject to massive underreporting, duplicate reporting, and **stimulated reporting** driven by intense media attention and public scrutiny of COVID-19 vaccines[^4][^3]. - COVID-19 vaccines had expanded mandatory reporting requirements and unprecedented safety monitoring, which artificially inflate reporting rates relative to long-established flu vaccines[^5][^4]. - Health authorities and independent fact-checkers have repeatedly warned that raw VAERS data **cannot be used to compare adverse-event rates or risks between vaccines**, and VAERS reports alone do not establish a causal link[^5][^6]. - The claim conflates a PRR with an actual risk ratio and mislabels a “suicide/homicide” category as “violent behavior.” **Overall validity**: 5% [^1]: [DISTURBING: Covid mRNA ‘Vaccines’ Caused ‘Alarming’ Surge in Violent Behavior, Homicidal Ideation](https://lionessofjudah.substack.com/p/disturbing-covid-mrna-vaccines-caused) [^2]: [Association Between COVID-19 Vaccination and Neuropsychiatric Conditions](https://daten-quadrat.de/go_to.php?id=7daa82f67e7d997df9b6d141446f09fb1) [^3]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of delusions 50 times compared with flu shots.](#nZqLeLdS8ia5sF7yXwwv) [^4]: [COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of meningitis by 34 times compared with flu shots.](#OmQrvJGy4RXU0OhL8Pn4) [^5]: [Instagram Post Makes Invalid Comparison Between COVID-19 ...](https://www.factcheck.org/2021/02/scicheck-instagram-post-makes-invalid-comparison-between-covid-19-and-flu-vaccines) [^6]: [Fact Check: Viral posts misuse VAERS data to make false claims ...](https://www.kcra.com/article/fact-check-viral-posts-misuse-vaers-data-to-make-false-claims-about-covid-19-vaccines/36068010) ### 23. COVID-19 vaccines increase the risk of cognitive decline by 115 times compared with flu shots. — 0% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/4WsPLnNHlMQWswaFHODM - The claim appears to originate from a study that analyzed the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and calculated proportional reporting ratios (PRRs) comparing COVID-19 vaccines to influenza vaccines[^1][^2]. - In that study, the PRR of 115 referred to general psychiatric illness adverse events, while cognitive impairment events had a PRR of 118—meaning these terms were reported more frequently in the VAERS database relative to flu vaccine reports, not that the actual clinical risk of cognitive decline is 115 times higher[^2][^1]. - PRR measures disproportionate reporting frequency, not causal risk or incidence. VAERS is a passive, unverified system that accepts self-reported events without proof of causation, and fact-checkers have found similar PRR-based claims misleading because “unverified, self-reported data do not establish a causal link between vaccines and adverse events”[^3][^4]. - The Alzheimer’s Society explicitly states there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines worsen dementia or increase the likelihood of developing cognitive decline[^5]. **Overall validity**: 0% [^1]: [Association between COVID-19 Vaccination and ...](https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/7dc7205bbd67a92d8954af45e21b4bfd/download_pub) [^2]: [Association Between COVID-19 Vaccination and Neuropsychiatric Conditions](https://ijirms.in/index.php/ijirms/article/view/2090) [^3]: [Misleading to say brain clots '112000% more likely' after ... - AAP](https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/misleading-to-say-brain-clots-112000-more-likely-after-covid-vaccine-than-flu-shot) [^4]: [Increase in COVID-19 VAERS Reports Due To Reporting Requirements, Intense Scrutiny of Widely Given Vaccines - FactCheck.org](https://www.factcheck.org/2021/12/scicheck-increase-in-covid-19-vaers-reports-due-to-reporting-requirements-intense-scrutiny-of-widely-given-vaccines) [^5]: [Coronavirus (Covid) vaccines and dementia | Alzheimer's Society](https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/coronavirus/covid-vaccines-dementia) ### 24. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of delusions 50 times compared with flu shots. — 5% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/nZqLeLdS8ia5sF7yXwwv **Reasoning** - The claim appears to originate from a preprint study that calculated a **proportional reporting ratio (PRR)** of **50.0** for the term “Delusion” in the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) when comparing COVID-19 vaccines with influenza vaccines[^1]. - A PRR measures **disproportionality in spontaneous reports**, not actual incidence, risk, or causation. It indicates that the *proportion* of delusion reports among all COVID-19 vaccine reports is higher than the proportion among flu vaccine reports, but it does **not** mean vaccinated individuals are 50 times more likely to develop delusions[^2]. - VAERS is a passive, unverified database that accepts reports from anyone, including the public, and is subject to massive underreporting, duplicate reporting, and **stimulated reporting** from media attention and heightened public scrutiny. COVID-19 vaccines were under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history, which artificially inflates reporting rates relative to long-established flu vaccines[^3][^4][^5][^6]. - Fact-checkers and health experts have repeatedly warned that raw VAERS data cannot be used to accurately compare adverse-event rates or risks between different vaccines, and the CDC/FDA state that VAERS reports alone do not establish a causal link[^6][^5][^7]. - Rare case reports of psychosis or delusions after COVID-19 vaccination exist, but these are isolated case reports, not population-level evidence of a 50-fold increased risk[^8][^9]. **Overall validity**: 5% [^1]: [Association between COVID-19 Vaccination and ...](https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/7dc7205bbd67a92d8954af45e21b4bfd/download_pub) [^2]: [Data Monitoring and Evaluation - Vaccine Risk Monitoring and Evaluation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - NCBI Bookshelf](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK619335) [^3]: [Reporting Rates for VAERS Death Reports Following COVID-19 Vaccination, December 14, 2020-November 17, 2021](https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.05.22274695v1.full-text) [^4]: [Viral Posts Misuse VAERS Data to Make False Claims About COVID-19 ...](https://www.factcheck.org/2021/03/scicheck-viral-posts-misuse-vaers-data-to-make-false-claims-about-covid-19-vaccines) [^5]: [Fact Check: VAERS and FAERS data shown does not prove COVID-19 vaccine adverse events and deaths](https://www.reuters.com/article/fact-check/vaers-and-faers-data-shown-does-not-prove-covid-19-vaccine-adverse-events-and-de-idUSL2N2OE1ZA) [^6]: [A claim comparing adverse events for COVID-19, flu ...](https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/politifact/2021/01/15/claim-comparing-adverse-events-covid-19-flu-vaccines-exaggerates-raw-data/4179488001) [^7]: [Claims that millions of people have died from the COVID- ...](https://www.congress.gov/118/meeting/house/117456/documents/HHRG-118-JU05-20240626-SD011.pdf) [^8]: [New-onset psychosis following COVID-19 vaccination - PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11046000) [^9]: [Psychiatric adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines - PMC - NIH](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9006421) ### 25. COVID‑19 vaccines increase the risk of myelitis (all types) by 31 times compared with flu shots. — 0% Model: Kimi K2.6 · Checked on: 23/07/2026 · Detail: /claim/bWOlKEPoJJtcvIvNCL8E - A large Korean self-controlled case series study explicitly states that, compared with the influenza vaccine, the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine did not show a significant difference in the incidence of myelitis[^1]. - The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine reviewed epidemiologic studies and found no evidence suggesting a large association between COVID-19 vaccines and transverse myelitis; the evidence is inadequate to accept or reject even a small association[^2][^3]. - Systematic reviews have identified very few post-COVID-19 vaccination myelitis cases globally (31 patients across 28 studies)[^4], while influenza vaccines have long been recognized in the literature as a reported cause of vaccine-associated myelitis[^5]. - No credible study or pharmacovigilance analysis supports a 31-fold increase in myelitis risk from COVID-19 vaccines versus flu shots; the claim is directly contradicted by comparative safety data. **Overall validity**: 0% [^1]: [The association between acute transverse myelitis and COVID‐19 ...](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11683473) [^2]: [Chapter: 3 Neurologic Conditions and COVID-19 Vaccines](https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/27746/chapter/5) [^3]: [Neurologic Conditions and COVID-19 Vaccines - NCBI - NIH](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK607364) [^4]: [Clinical characteristics, radiological features and prognostic factors of transverse myelitis following COVID-19 vaccination: A systematic review](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9258415) [^5]: [Acute transverse myelitis following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: a case report and review of literature - PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8418691)