False Claim About mRNA Vaccines and Blood Clots Recirculated

In today's digital era, health misinformation can easily and quickly go viral, creating confusion and panic among the public. This phenomenon is becoming more common across different platforms. Misinformation, particularly about health, can have severe consequences, influencing people's decisions about their health and wellbeing. For instance, an outdated claim about mRNA vaccines causing white blood clots has recently resurfaced in Thailand.

Social Media Claims

On February 19, Dr. Thiravat Hemachudha, head of the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Health Science Centre at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, stated that research has discovered white clots, resembling squid tentacles, in both living individuals and those who have died from the Covid vaccine.

Source | Archive

The statement mentioned above has attracted significant attention and has been published by various news agencies, including here and here.

Statement from the Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute

On February 21, the National Vaccine Institute issued a statement concerning a case of white clots and mRNA Covid vaccines. There had been widespread sharing of information about the discovery of unusual substances, identified as white blood clots, in the blood vessels of deceased individuals who had received the Covid-19 vaccine. The suggestion that these unusual substances could be found in living people who have been vaccinated created panic among the general public.

The National Vaccine Institute and a network of experts have responded to the aforementioned concerns. They have collaborated with doctors, forensic experts, and related specialists to provide the following information:

The alleged abnormality shown in the image is not a result of the mRNA vaccine. It is simply a sedimentation of blood components that occurs after death, known as a postmortem blood clot. This is a natural phenomenon commonly found in deceased individuals and has been observed long before the Covid-19 outbreak or vaccine use. When death occurs, the body's systems, including the circulatory system, cease to function. As a result, red blood cells sediment due to gravity, separating from the blood plasma. The plasma, still containing proteins such as Fibrinogen that aid in blood clotting, naturally hardens into fibrous proteins, creating the white protein clots observed.

White clots can be found in the blood of living individuals, a phenomenon explained by hematology principles concerning the blood clotting process. When blood is drawn from the body and left without anticoagulants, it will naturally clot, separating into a blood clot (thrombus or clot blood) layer and a yellow liquid (serum) layer.

However, if blood without anticoagulants is subjected to high-speed centrifugation before the clotting process is complete (partial clot), fibrous proteins aiding the clotting process (fibrin clot) can be identified. These are similar to the aforementioned white clots.

This is a common occurrence and should not cause concern. Importantly, it has no relation to the Covid-19 vaccination.

The Center for Medical Genomics clarifies that the viral video claiming blood clots from the vaccine is false information

On February 21, the Center for Medical Genomics shared a message about a video titled “Died Suddenly 2022.” The video suggests that "blood clots found after embalming indicate a plan to reduce the global population via the COVID-19 vaccine." This claim lacks evidential support.

The National Funeral Directors Association (USA) clarifies that funeral and embalming professionals are not equipped to draw conclusions about the COVID-19 vaccine and blood clots.

The video in question also includes footage from a medical study posted on YouTube in April 2019. This footage shows a procedure known as the removal of a blocked blood vessel in the lung, unrelated to COVID-19 vaccination (Source | Archive).

Furthermore, Factcheck.org has refuted the aforementioned video, stating that the “Died Suddenly” video, which alleges that postmortem blood clots are proof of a depopulation plot using COVID-19 vaccines, lacks credible evidence. The video uses previously debunked misconceptions and refers to other conspiracy theories. While the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can cause a specific type of clotting combined with low platelets, this condition is extremely rare, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the two mRNA vaccines over Johnson & Johnson’s. The blood clots shown in the video are a different type of clot commonly found in deceased individuals.

Additional Explanation on White Clot from Experts

Dr. Atthasit Dul-Amnuay, Head of the Department of Forensic Pathology at Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital, has provided his perspective on the widely debated topic of white blood clots. He stated, "The white clot that Dr. Theerawat mentioned is a misunderstanding. In reality, the white streaks observed are due to blood sedimentation after death, a natural phenomenon present in all deceased. In simpler terms, when blood is left idle, it contains not just blood cells, but also red cells, white cells, and plasma." He emphasized that this is not a new issue or phenomenon but has existed for a long time (Source).

Dr. Tany Thaniyavarn, a specialist in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Lung Transplant, explained the case as follows: A white clot can occur due to several causes. The first cause is people with hardened vessels, such as those with high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking habits, or high blood fat. The second cause is that patients who have died from COVID can develop clots in various parts of the body. The third cause is death, which can cause the blood to clot and form clots. (Source)

Similar Claims Debunked

Moreover, that similar claim of mRNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, lead to blood clots have been debunked in the past by various reputable sources.

• Reuters confirmed that there is no evidence that mRNA vaccines are linked to blood clots.
• Nebraska Medicine stated that no evidence indicates that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are associated with the same risk of blood clots.
• AFP reported that conservative commentators and websites misleadingly claimed that the FDA said the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine causes blood clots, but this is misleading as the study they referred to did not prove causality. These fact-checks collectively affirm that there is no established causal link between mRNA vaccines and blood clots.
• USA Today and AP News reported that a study conducted by researchers affiliated with the FDA found a potential association between the Pfizer vaccine and pulmonary embolism in older Americans, but emphasized that this does not prove causality.

Summary

The claim that a white bar was found in recipients of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and that it was caused by the vaccine, is incorrect. The National Vaccine Institute and medical experts have clarified that the presence of platelets, or in some non-fatal cases, is normal and unrelated to the COVID-19 vaccine.