Comment by carbocation
6 hours ago
VAERS cannot be used to establish causality; it cannot correctly be used in the way in which they are purporting to use it[1].
1 = https://www.kff.org/quick-take/fda-memo-linking-covid-vaccin...
6 hours ago
VAERS cannot be used to establish causality; it cannot correctly be used in the way in which they are purporting to use it[1].
1 = https://www.kff.org/quick-take/fda-memo-linking-covid-vaccin...
I respectfully disagree. VAERS can absolutely be used to establish causality when followed by proper expert investigation (which is exactly its purpose as a signal-detection system). The IOM has relied on VAERS data to confirm causal links in 158 vaccine-adverse event pairs, including rotavirus vaccine and intussusception.
Here, FDA career scientists conducted that follow-up: they reviewed 96 child death reports and concluded at least 10 were caused by COVID vaccine myocarditis. That expert finding, not politics, is what triggered the stricter protocols. Healthy skepticism means demanding the full data for review, not preemptively calling it invalid.
Where is that expert finding published?
As far as I have read about the ACIP decisions they didn't actually provide any real data to support this conclusion.
The FDA memo citing 10 vaccine-caused myocarditis deaths in kids came _after_ the Sept. 2025 ACIP vote. ACIP had already dropped routine vaccination for healthy kids 6 mo-17 yr and moved everyone under 65 to "shared decision-making" (high-risk only) [1]
The detailed FDA analysis still isn't public. That's exactly why we should demand it instead of dismissing the claim.
Blame NYTimes for leaking the internal memo. In all honesty they should be fined for doing this.
[1] https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/acip-recommends-covid19-vacci...
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