A new report debunks baseless theories online that mRNA injections were linked to cardiac arrests in athletes like Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who collapsed during a game in 2023. Since the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were authorized in late 2020, anti-vaccination groups in the United States have blamed the shots for deadly heart problems in young athletes.
The new report's findings come from an analysis of nearly 1,300 death certificates of Oregon residents ages 16 to 30 who died from a heart condition or unknown reasons between June 1, 2021 and December 31, 2022. Of the 40 deaths that occurred among people who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, three occurred in that time period. Two of the deaths were attributed to underlying chronic diseases. The third death was recorded as “undetermined natural cause,” and toxicology tests were negative for alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamine or other illicit substances. “When you weigh the risks and benefits, you have to look at that and say, 'You have to go for the vaccine,'” he said.