Most Americans believe the COVID-19 shots have harmed many, survey shows

A Rasmussen poll published last week found that most Americans believe the COVID-19 mRNA shots have caused heart damage in many people.

The injections have been known to cause myocarditis—inflammation of the heart muscle—and pericarditis, inflammation of the heart’s lining. Since this became known in early 2021, the CDC has insisted that such cardiac events from the shots are “rare.” 

However, most Americans appear to disagree with the CDC’s claim. Fifty-one percent of adults say it is likely that the injections have caused heart inflammation in many vaccinated people, including 29% who say it is “very likely.” Twenty-one percent say they are not sure, and 28% say it is not likely that many Americans have suffered heart myocarditis or pericarditis from the shots.

Broken down by party affiliation, 69% of Republicans and 39% of Democrats believe it is at least somewhat likely that many people have suffered heart inflammation from the mRNA shots. Forty-nine percent of politically unaffiliated Americans agree.

Vaccine-induced deaths

A Rasmussen survey published last year found that nearly half (49%) of Americans believe the COVID-19 vaccine may be responsible for many unexplained deaths. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they know at least one person who died from the vaccine. Interestingly, this included more Democrats (33%) than Republicans and the politically unaffiliated (26%).

A similar poll in January found that a third of Americans believe the COVID-19 vaccines are killing people en masse. The survey asked 1,232 American voters whether they agreed with a statement by world-renowned cardiologist Dr. Peter McColllough, who said last year that the mRNA injections are “killing large numbers of people." Thirty-three percent of respondents said they agreed with the statement, including 16% who strongly agreed. Fifty-seven percent said they disagreed, including 39% who said they strongly disagreed. Eleven percent were undecided.

Split by vaccination status, 64% of those who are unvaccinated and 38% of those who received only one dose at least somewhat agreed with the statement. Just 10% of those who received boosters agreed that the injections are “killing large numbers of people.”

Buyer’s remorse

The survey also asked respondents if they regretted taking the vaccine. Forty-three percent of those who received the shots but refused the boosters say they regret being vaccinated. Of those who were boosted, just ten percent wish they had not taken the vaccine. Overall, a quarter of American adults who received at least one dose regret doing so.

Trust in Big Pharma

Unsurprisingly, the survey also found a correlation between vaccination status and trust in pharmaceutical and medical corporations. Eighty percent of those who have been boosted expressed having some trust in the pharmaceutical and medical industries, compared to 41% of those who received one dose and 30% of those who received none. Split along party lines, 70% of Democrats and 38% of Republicans said they have some trust in those industries.

Overall, 17% of respondents said they have a lot of trust in the pharmaceutical and medical industries, compared to 18% who said they have none at all.

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