BMJ Retracts 2024 Covid Excess-Deaths Paper as Scientists Allege Political Pressure
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 15
BMJ Retracts 2024 Covid Excess-Deaths Paper as Scientists Allege Political Pressure
1 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 15
Summary
BMJ this week withdrew a 2024 BMJ Public Health paper that suggested Covid vaccination and lockdown policies may have contributed to some excess deaths during the pandemic.
The journal said the article's discussion contained misinformation, lacked rigour and failed to make clear the limited scope of the work after complaints and a Princess Máxima Centre investigation.
That inquiry found no fabrication, falsification or malicious intent, but called the paper misleading and selective because it did not reflect scientific consensus and overemphasized vaccine harms.
Three Dutch experts asked BMJ to reconsider, calling retraction disproportionate and warning it set a dangerous precedent; author Saskia Mostert also said political pressure, not science, drove the decision.
The dispute lands in a highly charged vaccine debate: studies estimate about 450,000 UK lives were saved by rollout, while nearly £30 million has been paid to 249 people through the vaccine damage scheme.