Greece Fact Check

/ Dec 09, 2024
2024/12/09

FALSE: A study about sudden deaths from COVID-19 vaccines that was censored by The Lancet has been peer-reviewed and finally published

CLAIM: A study censored by The Lancet was peer-reviewed and finally published: They conducted 325 autopsies, and 74% of sudden and unexpected deaths were linked to COVID “vaccines”!!

VERDICT: The study was not “censored” but rejected by The Lancet due to methodological issues and inaccuracies. Its recent publication was not in a scientific journal but on a website created by a well-known anti-vaccine advocate. The “study” did not prove that in 325 autopsies, 74% of sudden and unexpected deaths were linked to COVID-19 vaccines.

The claim has been circulating on social media:


The claim originated from posts abroad, notably from William Makis, MD, one of the study’s authors, along with Peter McCullough, known for his anti-scientific views. It is worth mentioning that the lead author of the “study,” Nicolas Hulscher, is the administrator of the McCullough Foundation. Dr. William Makis has made numerous unfounded and pseudoscientific claims about COVID-19 vaccines, focusing primarily on their safety and potential side effects. He has alleged a connection between mRNA vaccines and the emergence of aggressive cancers, which he calls “turbo cancers,” a claim that is unsubstantiated. He has also asserted that vaccinated individuals, including young people, experience rapidly progressive cancers. Moreover, he has claimed that brain aneurysms are a severe and common side effect of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in young people, which is also baseless.

As for the study “censored” by The Lancet, it was initially submitted as a preprint in July 2023 and subsequently rejected. Specifically, the paper was withdrawn at the request of the Editors-in-Chief for the following reasons:

  • Inappropriate citation of references.
  • Inappropriate design of methodology.
  • Errors, misrepresentation, and lack of factual support for the conclusions.
  • Failure to recognise and cite disconfirming evidence.


The concerns were shared with the authors, who prepared a response and submitted a revised manuscript for consideration by the journal. In consideration of the extent of the concerns raised and the responses from the authors, the journal sent the revised manuscript to two independent peer-reviewers. The peer-reviewers concluded that the revised manuscript did not sufficiently address the concerns raised by the community and that it was not suitable for publication in the journal. The authors disagree with this withdrawal and dispute the grounds for it.

The authors subsequently submitted the “study” to the “scientific journal” Science, Public Health Policy and the Law, which supposedly underwent peer review before being published on November 17, 2024. However, this is not a reputable journal, but a website created in 2019 by James Lyons-Weiler, and established as a “journal” in 2020. This “journal” is not listed in the PubMed database, as highlighted by factcheck.org, which also examined the claim. It has published articles promoting unverified or controversial views about vaccines in general, and particularly in relation to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. For example, it has hosted articles questioning the effectiveness of PCR diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 and promoting alternative, non-scientifically validated treatments for COVID-19.

Extensive scientific evidence demonstrates that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and not linked to sudden deaths. Reviews from institutions like the CDC and the Harvard Medical School affirm the vaccines’ safety, emphasizing that the benefits far outweigh any risks.

Conclusion:
The study was not “censored”, but rejected by The Lancet due to methodological problems and inaccuracies. Its recent publication was not in a scientific journal, but on a website created by a known anti-vaccine advocate. The “study” did not prove that in 325 autopsies, 74% of sudden and unexpected deaths were linked to COVID-19 vaccines.

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