More Than Half Suspect COVID-19 Vaccines Have Caused Deaths

A majority of Americans believe COVID-19 vaccines may be to blame for many unexplained deaths, and nearly one-in-four say someone they know could be among the victims.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 53% of American Adults believe it is likely that side effects of COVID-19 vaccines have caused a significant number of unexplained deaths – up from 49% a year ago – including 30% who think it’s Very Likely. Thirty-six percent (36%) now don’t say a significant number of deaths have been caused by vaccine side effects, including 16% who believe it’s Not At All Likely. Another 11% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Twenty-four percent (24%) of adults say they personally know someone whose death they think may have been caused by side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, while 61% don’t and another 10% are not sure. A year ago, 28% believed someone they know may have died from the vaccine.

The new findings come as Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene holds a hearing today on COVID-19 vaccine safety with witnesses Dr. Peter McCullough, Dr. Ryan Cole, and Dr. Kirk Milhoan.

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The survey of 1,133 American Adults was conducted on January 7-9, 2024 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Fifty-four percent (54%) of Americans believe there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, while 33% think people who worry about vaccine safety are spreading conspiracy theories. Another 13% are not sure.

Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Republicans think there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, as do 37% of Democrats and 54% of those unaffiliated with either major party. A majority (55%) of Democrats believe people who worry about vaccine safety are spreading conspiracy theories, a view shared by 21% of Republicans and 27% of the unaffiliated.

More Republicans (44%) than Democrats (22%) or the unaffiliated (25%) say it’s Very Likely that side effects of COVID-19 vaccines have caused a significant number of unexplained deaths. Thirty percent (30%) of Republicans, 19% of Democrats and 22% of the unaffiliated say they personally know someone whose death they think may have been caused by side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.

There is very little “gender gap” in these findings, with men (56%) just slightly more likely than women (52%) to say there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. Women under 40 are least likely to suspect that vaccine side effects have caused a significant number of deaths.

Majorities of every racial category – 50% of whites, 56% of blacks and 59% of other minorities – believe it is at least somewhat likely that side effects of COVID-19 vaccines have caused a significant number of unexplained deaths.

Although concerns about movies causing violence in society have declined, Americans are slightly more likely to blame video games.

While officials say crime decreased last year, few Americans believe this is true where they live. 

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to the public as well as Platinum Members.

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The survey of 1,133 American Adults was conducted on January 7-9, 2024 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.