Wait, what is VAERS? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
VAERs is a comprehensive U.S. database of all adverse events reported after a vaccine is administered. Not just COVID-19 vaccines \u2013 all<\/em><\/strong> vaccines<\/em><\/strong>. It is co-managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and acts as an early warning system to flag potential issues with vaccines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Vaccine providers, healthcare workers and the public are encouraged to report any clinically significant health problem following vaccination to VAERS, regardless of whether a causal link between the vaccine and the event is established. In other words, the adverse event may be completely coincidental and unrelated to the vaccination. Also, reports to VAERS may include incomplete, inaccurate, and unverified information (because pretty much anyone can submit a report to it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Essentially, VAERS is not designed to determine if a vaccine caused a health problem, but rather to detect unusual or unexpected patterns of adverse event reporting<\/em><\/strong> that might indicate a safety problem with a vaccine. It’s essentially a gigantic listening post. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We have an equivalent adverse event register in Australia called DAENS<\/a> \u2013 the Database of Adverse Event Notifications \u2013 but because the COVID-19 vaccination rollout has only just commenced here, the COVID-19 vaccine data is yet to be meaningfully populated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back to the US VAERS data though. That’s where the online misinformation is currently cooking, cause millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses have already been administered so there’s plenty of data just waiting to be mined … <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thousands dead within 2 hours of receiving a COVID vaccine!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 117,000 most likely dead – run like hell!!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 12,697 injured, 653 dead \u2013 and that’s just the 1% of adverse events reported to VAERS!!!<\/em> (Thank you Joe Mercola. Which overpriced non-proven immune boosting supplement would you like to sell me today?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have seen some spectacular claims and flat out ridiculous shit takes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem is that all of them either wildly misunderstand the nature of VAERS data or exhibit a lack of ability to create meaningful queries in VAERS or are based on searches from an unverified third party website that is run by a private citizen who apparently extracts data from VAERS. Pardon me if I don’t provide a hyperlink to that <\/em>website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As at 18 February, 41 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the US.[i]<\/span><\/sup><\/a> Over the same period, 656 deaths were reported to VAERS (yes, that is still a very large number of reported deaths). These deaths represent 0.000016% of total doses administered or 16 deaths per million doses. 80% of these reported deaths occurred in the 65+ age group and 92% occurred in the 50+ age group.[ii<\/a>]<\/span><\/sup> But it’s important to remember that there is not necessarily a causal link between the deaths reported on VAERS and the vaccination. In fact, when you dig down into the individual case reports, the cause of death is frequently attributed by the treating doctors to age-related chronic conditions or, for some unlucky souls, a COVID-19 infection contracted prior to receiving a vaccine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you interested in searching VAERS yet? If the answer is yes, watch this video explainer<\/a> first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I confess, I haven’t yet searched VAERS for reports of severe allergic reactions. However, someone far cleverer than me has analysed that data and established the rate of anaphylactic allergic reactions to the Pfizer vaccine at 4.7 cases per million doses. No deaths have resulted from these cases.[<\/sup><\/a>iii<\/a><\/sup>]<\/sup><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n The overwhelming majority of reports in the VAERS database relate to the common side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, such as fever, headache, chills and pain at the site of injection. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n More adverse events were reported in the control (placebo, non-vaccine) arm of the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine trial<\/a> than the vaccine arm (84 severe adverse events in the vaccine group and 91 in the placebo control group). Nocebo anyone? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Actually, I shouldn’t be flippant. Some of those adverse events included deaths from road traffic accidents, homicide and blunt force trauma \u2013 even during clinical vaccine trials amidst a global pandemic, people die of tragically ordinary things and from violence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Read more about how vaccine trials are conducted in this article by Hilda Bastian – A Reader’s Guide to Safety & Adverse Event Data From Vaccine Trials<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Given how stressful and overwhelming the last 12 months have been, a bit of vaccine hesitancy is a fairly rational response. You may be experiencing vaccine hesitancy yourself and you’re certainly going to encounter it in some of your clients, friends or family members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Please be cautious about information you read on social media regarding vaccines because there is a minefield of dubious claims being shared and re-shared, especially within massage therapist groups. Hopefully, AMT’s soon-to-be-released COVID-19 vaccination fact sheet will help you to navigate the complexities and uncertainties of the vaccination information out there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The AMT vaccination fact sheet will be released soon. It includes a plain English explanation of the different types of COVID-19 vaccines, more information on safety and efficacy, and the key implications of the vaccination rollout for massage therapists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rebecca Barnett really quite enjoyed searching VAERS and reading some of the case reports. She is aware that’s odd and painfully aware of the avoidable tragedy buried in many of those stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [i]<\/a> https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#vaccinations<\/a>, accessed 18 February<\/p>\n\n\n\n [ii]<\/a> https:\/\/wonder.cdc.gov\/vaers.html<\/a>, accessed 20 February<\/p>\n\n\n\n [iii]<\/a> Shimabukuro TT, Cole M, Su JR. Reports of Anaphylaxis After Receipt of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines in the US\u2014December 14, 2020-January 18, 2021<\/a>. JAMA.<\/em> Published online February 12, 2021. doi:10.1001\/jama.2021.1967<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Confused by the competing theories and assertions about the COVID-19 vaccines spreading across Facebook and other social media? We lay out the known facts and challenge you to share them with Uncle Trev or that misguided massage therapist. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,2],"tags":[614,574,733,730,585,34,731,732],"class_list":["post-3083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-amt","category-professional-practice","tag-covid-19","tag-covid19","tag-daens","tag-immunisation","tag-misinformation","tag-rebecca-barnett","tag-vaccination","tag-vaers"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/800px-Herd_of_Elephants.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3620,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2022\/06\/16\/5-images-that-explain-why-you-should-join-the-clean-air-revolution\/","url_meta":{"origin":3083,"position":0},"title":"5 images that explain why you should join the clean air revolution","author":"admin","date":"16\/06\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"There was something in the air that night, the stars were bright, Fernando. They were shining there for you and me, for liberty, Fernando. Though we never thought that we could lose, there's no regret. If I had to do the same again, I would, my friend, Fernando.","rel":"","context":"In "AMT"","block_context":{"text":"AMT","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/category\/amt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/London_Board_of_Health_searching_the_city_for_cholera_Wellcome_V0010896.jpg?fit=800%2C529&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/London_Board_of_Health_searching_the_city_for_cholera_Wellcome_V0010896.jpg?fit=800%2C529&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/London_Board_of_Health_searching_the_city_for_cholera_Wellcome_V0010896.jpg?fit=800%2C529&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/London_Board_of_Health_searching_the_city_for_cholera_Wellcome_V0010896.jpg?fit=800%2C529&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2623,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2020\/05\/28\/workplace-health-and-safety-in-a-covid-19-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":3083,"position":1},"title":"Workplace Health and Safety in a COVID-19 World","author":"admin","date":"28\/05\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Before any massage therapist returns to business as usual plus hand sanitiser, AMT has released its Risk Assessment Guide to help chart a COVID-19 safe workplace journey.","rel":"","context":"In "AMT"","block_context":{"text":"AMT","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/category\/amt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/COVIDsafe.jpg?fit=562%2C388&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/COVIDsafe.jpg?fit=562%2C388&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/COVIDsafe.jpg?fit=562%2C388&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3540,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2022\/02\/15\/living-with-covid-massage-therapy-industry-survey\/","url_meta":{"origin":3083,"position":2},"title":"Living with COVID Massage Therapy Industry Survey","author":"admin","date":"15\/02\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Our latest graphical story is not exactly something we can urge you to enjoy. It paints a fairly confronting picture of the impacts of \"living with COVID\" on the massage therapy industry.","rel":"","context":"In "AMT"","block_context":{"text":"AMT","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/category\/amt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/question-mark.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/question-mark.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/question-mark.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2943,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2020\/11\/18\/a-tale-of-two-charts\/","url_meta":{"origin":3083,"position":3},"title":"A tale of two charts","author":"admin","date":"18\/11\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In this week's very small blog post, we pose a question based on two ugly but functional charts.","rel":"","context":"In "Massage"","block_context":{"text":"Massage","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/category\/massage\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Dolar-sign-scaled.jpg?fit=927%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Dolar-sign-scaled.jpg?fit=927%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Dolar-sign-scaled.jpg?fit=927%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Dolar-sign-scaled.jpg?fit=927%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3450,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2021\/09\/15\/get-the-factsheet\/","url_meta":{"origin":3083,"position":4},"title":"Get The Facts(heet)","author":"admin","date":"15\/09\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"How and why to access the latest AMT factsheets on masks, vaccination and ventilation and air purification.","rel":"","context":"In "AMT"","block_context":{"text":"AMT","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/category\/amt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/women-801940_640.jpg?fit=640%2C322&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/women-801940_640.jpg?fit=640%2C322&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/women-801940_640.jpg?fit=640%2C322&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2602,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2020\/05\/13\/assessing-your-risks-in-a-covid-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":3083,"position":5},"title":"Assessing Your Risks in a COVID World","author":"admin","date":"13\/05\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Ready to re-open your clinic but don't know where to begin? AMT has released a self-assessment tool to examine your risks.","rel":"","context":"In "AMT"","block_context":{"text":"AMT","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/category\/amt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Stop-Slow-Go-traffic-light.png?fit=500%2C416&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3083"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3083\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3114,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3083\/revisions\/3114"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Wild claims about the COVID vaccines from VAERS data<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What does the VAERS data actually report about, say, deaths?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What about anaphylaxis, I hear you ask … <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Interested in a fun fact? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
A final word<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Actually, this is the final word<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
About the Author<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/thumbnail_IMG_20201008_220006.jpg?resize=144%2C154&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n