How many deaths have VAERS recorded after COVID-19 vaccines as of 2024?
Executive summary
As of late April 2024, public downloads of VAERS raw data compiled by independent trackers showed hundreds to over a million COVID‑19–associated reports depending on scope and whether domestic-only data are counted; VAERS is a passive reporting system and “reports” do not prove causation (CDC/Reuters) [1] [2] [3]. Federal and academic reviews have treated VAERS signals as starting points for investigation rather than confirmed vaccine‑caused deaths; an FDA staff review cited an initial analysis of 96 VAERS‑listed deaths between 2021–2024 and at least 10 child deaths linked in that internal memo, but reporting and causality remain disputed [4] [5] [6].
1. What the public VAERS totals show — and why they vary
VAERS raw‑data snapshots compiled and republished by independent sites report different totals depending on date cutoffs and whether they include U.S. domestic reports only or U.S. plus foreign entries. For example, a VAERS‑analysis site published summaries through 4/26/2024 and asserted COVID‑19 vaccine deaths outnumber deaths from all other vaccines since 1990 (site summary) [1]. Other compilers reported over 1,000,000 domestic VAERS reports related to COVID‑19 through mid‑2024 when counting all adverse event reports, not only deaths [7] [8]. These public totals do not themselves adjudicate cause [1] [7] [8].
2. What VAERS is — and what it is not
VAERS is a passive safety‑signal system that accepts reports of adverse events after vaccination from anyone; reporting of a death simply means the death occurred sometime after vaccination and must be reported under EUA rules — it does not establish the vaccine caused the death (CDC testimony and Reuters fact check) [3] [2]. Under COVID‑era emergency use authorizations, healthcare providers and manufacturers were required to report serious events, including death, even when cause was unknown [3]. Reuters emphasized that VAERS entries are unverified and do not alone prove causality [2].
3. Federal and agency scrutiny: investigations and internal reviews
Federal reviewers use VAERS to prioritize follow‑up through more rigorous systems. The CDC described layered safety monitoring — VAERS, VSD, CISA — which together assess signals like myocarditis that required deeper review after initial VAERS alerts [3]. Separately, an internal FDA analysis referenced in reporting reviewed 96 deaths reported to VAERS between 2021–2024 and noted at least 10 child deaths that agency staff linked to vaccination in that preliminary analysis; that memo spurred internal discussions about causality and process [4] [5] [6]. The documents show agencies use VAERS to flag cases for investigation, not to issue definitive counts of vaccine‑caused deaths [3] [4].
4. Independent analyses and peer‑reviewed work — claims and counterclaims
Several independent authors and a peer‑reviewed systematic review of autopsy findings have argued a substantial share of VAERS‑reported deaths are attributable to vaccination; an autopsy‑focused VAERS analysis reported many deaths linked to cardiovascular causes and claimed high proportions “directly due to” shots in the subset studied [7] [9]. Those findings have been publicized by advocacy sites and journals that argue VAERS‑linked autopsies show causation [7] [9]. However, mainstream fact‑checking and public‑health outlets caution these VAERS‑based counts require confirmation via controlled epidemiologic studies and medical record review [2] [3].
5. Why a single, definitive death number is not available in public reporting
Available sources show divergent counts because of different methodologies: raw VAERS report tallies (domestic vs. global; deaths vs. all AEs), independent re‑analyses, and agency internal reviews focusing on subsets for forensic follow‑up [1] [7] [4]. Reuters and CDC stress that raw VAERS death totals do not equal confirmed vaccine‑caused deaths [2] [3]. Therefore, the public cannot reliably state “VAERS recorded X confirmed vaccine deaths” from the cited materials; the sources either present unverified report totals or document investigatory steps that may reclassify a small number of cases after deeper review [1] [7] [4].
6. How journalists and readers should interpret these numbers
Treat VAERS counts as indicators that trigger further study, not as final causality tallies [2] [3]. Independent analyses and autopsy series raise hypotheses that warrant transparent, peer‑reviewed confirmation; federal testimony shows agencies routinely move from passive reports to active analytic systems to evaluate real risk [3] [9]. Readers should note advocacy sites may emphasize raw VAERS totals; federal sources emphasize the system’s role as an early‑warning tool and the need for controlled investigation [1] [2] [3].
Limitations: available sources do not provide a single verified count of confirmed deaths caused by COVID‑19 vaccines as of 2024; they supply raw VAERS report totals, independent analyses, and agency internal reviews that must be interpreted in context [1] [7] [4].