The death rate from the COVID-19 vaccine in Sweden is not zero

The mortality rate attributed to vaccination against COVID-19 in Sweden has not been zero, according to data compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO). From December 16, 2020, to December 31, 2023, nearly 642 million doses of coronavirus vaccines were administered across the European geographical region. A Facebook page associated with an organization advocating for the interests of individuals affected by vaccination raised concerns regarding discrepancies in vaccine-related mortality rates between Germany and Sweden. The issue was initially highlighted by German physician Wolfgang Wodarg on platform X, who questioned why mortality rates remained high in Germany despite similar vaccination coverage compared to the new EU member state of Sweden, where the rate appeared to be zero. Wolfgang Wodarg is a German physician specializing in internal medicine, pulmonology, hygiene, and environmental and social medicine. He previously served as a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the German federal parliament and chaired the parliamentary committee on health in the Council of Europe. In June, he clarified on X that he had not verified the reliability of the text used in one of his earlier posts, which referenced the question about differences in vaccine efficacy between Germany and Sweden. Due to multiple misunderstandings that arose, he deleted the post. According to WHO data, 174,979 deaths occurred in Germany due to COVID-19 from 2020 through July 2023. In contrast, Sweden recorded 24,663 deaths during the same period. Mass vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 began in both countries on December 27, 2020. Data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) indicate that Germany used a total of 196,738,116 vaccine doses from the start of the campaign until the end of 2023. Meanwhile, Sweden utilized 28,297,195 doses, as reported by its public health agency Fohm. The Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), a German federal institute focused on vaccines and biomedical products, conducted a safety report in March 2024 analyzing reports of adverse effects leading to death following vaccination against COVID-19. This report covered data from the beginning of mass vaccination through the end of 2024. It analyzed 3,086 reports of suspected adverse effects resulting in death, spanning from 2020 to late 2024. Since March 2023, no new safety risks related to the vaccines have been identified. Of these cases, 74 were classified as “consistent” under WHO criteria, meaning a possible or probable causal link between the death and vaccination could exist. The PEI explained that while some reported cases occurred shortly after vaccination, this alone does not establish causation. Most reported cases might have coincided with vaccination, but many can be explained by other factors such as prior or concurrent illnesses or medication use. In some instances, insufficient data made definitive assessment impossible. Sweden’s Medicines Agency conducted a study in August 2023 examining 456 cases of suspected adverse effects with fatal outcomes. These reports spanned from December 27, 2020, to May 31, 2023. The agency found that a causal link between vaccination and fatal outcomes was confirmed in only ten cases. Five of these were linked to very rare known adverse effects, either myocarditis or thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome. The remaining five cases were attributed to “failure of immunization,” meaning vaccinated individuals still contracted COVID-19, became ill, and died despite receiving the full dose.