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Tuesday, Jun 2, 2026

Have COVID-19 vaccines contributed to as many as 3.9 million deaths? 

Madeline Heim / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin Watch
no

COVID-19 vaccines have not been linked to as many as 3.9 million deaths. 

Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said on May 9, 2026, on “Real America’s Voice” that the 39,000 deaths reported on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System could be low and the real number could be 100 times higher because most people don’t report to the system.

VAERS, run by U.S. health agencies, is an early warning system for vaccine problems, but its data isn’t evidence that vaccines caused deaths.

VAERS says submitting a report does not mean the vaccine caused an adverse event. Reports are not analyzed for accuracy.

A 2022 review found potential links in 38 deaths out of 8 billion doses of vaccine administered. A 2026 analysis from the National Institutes of Health found no evidence COVID vaccines increased sudden cardiac death in healthy young adults. 

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