The Vaccine Safety Data Link, a surveillance system operated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) flagged a possible risk of ischemic stroke in recipients of the Pfizer Omicron booster vaccine in those aged over 65. Monitoring systems including the Vaccine Safety Data Link detected 130 cases of stroke among 550,000 seniors within 21 days of receiving the Pfizer Omicron booster.  A detailed statistical analysis was initiated using data from the Center for Medicare and Medical Services, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Vaccine Adverse Reporting System. The study failed to show any correlation between receiving an mRNA Pfizer booster vaccine and the incidence of stroke in the population of seniors. The study obviously compared established incidence rates for ischemic stroke in the age cohort and those receiving the vaccine, eliminating the vaccine as a causal factor.

Pfizer spokesperson Kit Longley stated, “Compared to published incidence rates of ischemic stroke in the older population to date the Company has observed a lower number of reported strokes following vaccination with the omicron BA.4/BA.5-adaptive bivalent vaccine”. 

The CDC has not changed its recommendations for the Pfizer Omicron vaccine that should be administered to eligible recipients after completing a primary vaccine series in all those over 5 years of age. Regrettably the findings exonerating the vaccine will be ignored by antivaxxers and misleading publicity will continue to be disseminated on social media to the detriment of susceptible Seniors.