Understanding Death Reports in VAERS

What "Death Reported" Actually Means

When VAERS records a death, it means someone died at some point after receiving a vaccine, and a report was filed. The report does not establish causation. Consider this scenario:

An 85-year-old nursing home resident receives a flu vaccine. Three weeks later, they die of a heart attack related to longstanding coronary artery disease. A death report is filed with VAERS. This death appears in the statistics on this site.

In the United States, approximately 8,000-9,000 people die every day from all causes. When you vaccinate millions of people, some will inevitably die in the days and weeks after vaccination — not because of the vaccine, but because death is a constant occurrence in any large population.

The COVID-Era Spike in Death Reports

In 2021, VAERS received 11,352 death reports — roughly 59x the pre-COVID average of 192/year. This increase parallels the overall reporting spike and reflects:

• Scale: Hundreds of millions of doses were administered, many to elderly and high-risk individuals
• Priority populations: Early vaccination targeted nursing home residents and those 65+, who have the highest baseline mortality
• Mandatory reporting: Healthcare providers were required to report deaths after COVID-19 vaccination
• Heightened vigilance: Any death after vaccination was more likely to be reported during the COVID era

Age Distribution of Death Reports

The age distribution of death reports closely mirrors the age distribution of natural mortality. Adults 65+ account for 56% of all VAERS death reports. In the general U.S. population, this age group accounts for roughly 75% of all deaths.

This correlation between VAERS death report age distribution and natural mortality age distribution strongly suggests that most reported deaths are coincidental — they would have occurred regardless of vaccination.

How Causation is Actually Determined

VAERS alone cannot determine whether a vaccine caused a death. Causation assessment requires:

• Medical record review and autopsy findings
• Epidemiological studies comparing death rates in vaccinated vs. unvaccinated populations
• Analysis through the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) and other active surveillance systems
• Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) review

When these rigorous methods have been applied, they have confirmed that vaccine-caused deaths are extremely rare. The CDC has stated that after reviewing available clinical data, no causal link has been found between COVID-19 vaccines and most reported deaths.