The Claim:
2022 saw the loss of many celebrities and some trouble with Justin Bieber’s face and Céline Dion‘s health. Some beloved celebrities, such as Taylor Hawkins, Leslie Jordan, and Irene Cara, then became part of the anti-vaccine rumor mill.
The Facts:
Justin Beiber had Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which is a remanifestation of varicella-zoster, the virus that causes chickenpox. Sadly, all of this could have been prevented if he had originally been vaccinated against the chickenpox he contracted as a child.
Celine Dion has Stiff Person Syndrome. We have no reason to believe that the COVID vaccine caused this in Celine Dion, any more than anything else she’s experienced. SPS seems to affect 1-2 people in a million people, and the rates do not appear to be increasing since the covid vaccine was introduced. This is another example of people jumping to conclusions without evidence.
As to the celebrities we have lost this year, it is important to remember that celebrities do die, too. We do not have solid answers about Taylor Hawkins‘ and Irene Cara‘s deaths, Leslie Jordan died in an auto accident caused by a possible medical incident. We should not expect autopsies to tell us that a death was definitely not caused by vaccines, but the lack of such declaration does not mean vaccines are to blame.
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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