The Claim:
News of Jeff Beck’s sudden passing has the internet doing what it does.
The Facts:
Sadly, Jeff Beck dies from bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis can kill a person within a day of symptom onset, and those who survive are often left without limbs or with permanent brain damage. Although we do not know which bacterium caused his meningitis, some forms are preventable through meningococcal vaccines, but he is out of the age range for vaccination.
Still, anti-vaxxers persist in blaming the COVID vaccine for this death. Some are pointing to case studies that suggest the vaccine causes aseptic meningitis, but aseptic is not bacterial meningitis, which is a much more severe and deadly type of meningitis.
It is plausible for the COVID vaccine to cause aseptic (non-bacterial) meningitis because it is reactogenic and can cause inflammatory symptoms. It is implausible for the vaccine to cause bacterial meningitis because those cases are caused by particular bacteria that can be identified and are not part of the vaccine or related to the vaccine at all.
Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.
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