Key Study Cited by Activist Steve Kirsch on Vaccine Harms Retracted for Unreliable Conclusions

Entrepreneur and activist Steve Kirsch recently claimed on social media that "75% of the interventions recommended by health authorities were detrimental," asserting that "Health authorities were inept." Kirsch directed his followers to a "full review" published in the journal Cureus to support his claims. However, this review, co-authored by Kirsch and others, has since been formally retracted by the journal on February 26, 2024.

The retracted article, titled "COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines: Lessons Learned from the Registrational Trials and Global Vaccination Campaign," had argued that the rapid authorization of mRNA vaccines bypassed established scientific standards. It alleged a "significant risk of SAEs (Serious Adverse Events) and premature death" among vaccinated individuals, citing a re-analysis of Pfizer trial data that suggested a 31% increase in overall mortality and a 36% higher risk of SAEs in the vaccine group compared to placebo. The paper also raised concerns about DNA contamination, including the presence of the Simian virus 40 (SV40) promoter in some Pfizer vaccine batches, and called for a global moratorium on mRNA products.

Cureus retracted the article, stating that its conclusions were "considered to be unreliable" due to "a misrepresentation of the cited references and available data." Fact-checking organizations, including FactCheck.org, highlighted that the paper repeated numerous claims previously debunked and relied on studies or analyses that had been widely criticized. Critics, such as surgical oncologist Dr. David Gorski, characterized the study as a "greatest hits" collection of anti-vaccine talking points.

Steve Kirsch has a history of promoting unproven COVID-19 treatments and making claims about vaccine safety that have been debunked. KFF Health News reported in September 2023 that Kirsch misused federal data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to falsely claim a high number of COVID-19 vaccine-related deaths, despite VAERS data being unverified and insufficient to establish causality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has consistently affirmed that it has found no unusual patterns of death indicating COVID-19 vaccines cause or contribute to fatalities.

The broader scientific and medical community, supported by leading health organizations worldwide, continues to affirm the overall safety and effectiveness of approved COVID-19 vaccines. These vaccines have been shown to be highly effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19, a consensus that stands in stark contrast to the claims made in the retracted Cureus paper and by activists like Kirsch.