Blog•Mar 19, 2026
Is Omitting Data From a COVID-19 Study Conclusion a Lie?
The OpenSAFELY cohort study examined Pfizer vaccination in English children aged 5‑15, finding virtually no COVID‑related deaths and fewer than seven critical‑care admissions during an early‑pandemic window. Vaccine impact was limited to modest, short‑term reductions in infection and a slight dip in emergency visits and hospitalizations. Myocarditis cases appeared exclusively in vaccinated participants at roughly 27 per million after the first dose and 10 per million after the second. The blog argues that these safety signals were buried in tables and omitted from the paper’s conclusion, skewing the perceived risk‑benefit balance.