A Facebook video claims that a billion people have died since the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, but fact-checking has identified this claim as false. According to United Nations data and mortality projections, fewer than 260 million people have died globally from all causes since the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in late 2020. The video was posted by a website known for publishing fabricated stories.
If the claim were true, it would mean that roughly one in eight people worldwide would have died since the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. However, U.N. data shows that about 60 to 70 million people die annually from all causes, and only projected mortality data was available for 2023. Even if all deaths in 2020 and all projected deaths in 2023 are included in the count, official estimates show there have been around 260 million deaths, not a billion, since the COVID-19 vaccines became available.
The video was shared more than 8,000 times in two weeks, but the actual global deaths were only a fraction of those claimed in the post. While nearly 7 million deaths from COVID-19 have been reported to the World Health Organization as of November 2, the vaccines are estimated to have saved millions of lives, and serious adverse reactions to them are rare, according to multiple studies.
The People’s Voice, previously known as NewsPunch, has a history of repeatedly publishing fabricated stories. USA TODAY previously debunked inaccurate claims connecting the COVID-19 vaccines to mass deaths.
In conclusion, the claim that a billion people have died since the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is false, according to fact-checking and United Nations data. The actual number of global deaths from all causes since the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine is significantly lower, with the vaccines estimated to have saved millions of lives.