Did 60,000 die in Germany because of Covid vaccine? Debunking the Musk-backed viral claim

Do Covid vaccines cause more harm than good? It’s a question that has been repeatedly asked ever since the coronavirus spread across the world, causing countries to enter a lockdown.

In fact, there have been multiple Covid vaccine conspiracies since even before the first needle pierced the skin to deliver the vaccine. Some claimed that the Covid shots could alter our DNA. Others stated that the vaccine contained a microchip, perhaps placed there by Bill Gates, that linked to cell towers via 5G technology to allow for population surveillance.

The years have rolled on, but questions about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine continue. And on Sunday, the vaccine once again became a talking point after Elon Musk spoke of his experience after taking the second Covid jab.

Here’s what’s going on.

Elon Musk’s new Covid post

On April 12, X owner and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, took to his social media platform claiming that he experienced mild symptoms from the original strain of Covid-19 but felt severely ill following his second vaccine dose.

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In his post, Musk wrote that he had contracted the “original Wuhan virus” before vaccines were available and described it as similar to a typical cold or flu. He added that while the infection was unpleasant, it was “not terrible.”

In the same post, Musk added that the “second vaccine shot almost sent me to the hospital. Felt like I was dying”.

Musk’s many posts about Covid and the vaccines

This isn’t the first time that Musk has spoken out against the Covid vaccine or expressed scepticism about coronavirus. In 2020, when the virus took over the world, he downplayed the risk of the virus, telling an interviewer that he didn’t agree with stay-at-home orders.

In July 2023, after basketball superstar LeBron James’ son suffered a cardiac arrest, Musk attributed the condition, without any proof, to the Covid vaccine. In a post about the incident, Musk said that “we cannot ascribe everything to the Covid vaccine, but by the same token we cannot ascribe nothing”.

Elon Musk has long spoke out against the Covid vaccine. In the past, he has linked heart issues to the vaccine. File image/Reuters

Later, in the same year, the billionaire claimed that the vaccine jab almost sent him to the hospital. “As for myself, I got original Covid before the vaccine was out (mild cold symptoms) and had to get three vaccines for travel,” Musk stated, adding, “The third shot almost sent me to [the] hospital.”

He further added, “It’s not like I don’t believe in vaccines – I do. However, the cure cannot be potentially worse than the disease. And public debate over efficacy should not be shut down.”

And last year, responding to JD Vance’s comments about the vaccine, Musk wrote: “I had a similar experience. Covid itself was nothing. I got the OG Wuhan strain before vaccines were out. J&J vaccine hurt my arm, but otherwise nothing.”

He added, “But the mRNA booster hit extremely hard. Massive chest pain. Felt like I got hit by a truck. Almost went to hospital. That said, synthetic mRNA has a lot of potential to cure cancer and other diseases. Research should continue.”

Renewed interest in Covid-19 vaccine

Musk’s latest post on Covid vaccines comes after a former pharmaceutical toxicologist made serious assertions during a parliamentary enquiry in Germany regarding alleged vaccine-related deaths.

On March 19, 2026, Dr Helmut Sterz, a former head of toxicology at American biopharmaceutical firm Pfizer’s European centres, testified before the Bundestag’s Corona Enquete Commission, a parliamentary body reviewing Germany’s Covid-19 response.

In his testimony, he raised concerns about the pace of vaccine development, stating that certain long-term risk assessments, including carcinogenicity studies, were not completed prior to widespread public rollout. He also testified that 10 essential preclinical safety studies were skipped before the rollout of the Covid vaccine.

In his testimony, Sterz also spoke of the German death toll. Referring to the 2,133 deaths reported by Germany’s Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, he noted that this number was much higher, applying a 30x multiplier, through which the toll climbs to 63,990.

However, Germany’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who was present at the session, rejected Sterz’s claims as false.

A demonstrator holds a sign during a protest against Germany's measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Hamburg, Germany. The sign reads: 'No vaccination obligation.' File image/Reuters

Debunking Sterz’s claim

But is there any truth to Sterz’s claim that the Covid vaccine resulted in 63,990 deaths in Germany?

Sterz’s 30x multiplier emanates from a Harvard Pilgrim Health Care study, the most cited source on underreporting in America’s vaccine safety monitoring system, known as VAERS. That study estimated that fewer than one per cent of vaccine adverse events are ever reported.

However, the US Department of Health has warned that VAERS data cannot be used to establish causation or calculate actual death rates. Medical experts have consistently warned that a multiplier designed for the American reporting system cannot simply be transplanted onto Germany, which has an entirely different healthcare structure and reporting culture.

Hence, the over 60,000 deaths claimed by Sterz are just his own calculations and not backed by any scientific research.

Additionally, data from The Lancet reveal that high vaccination rates were associated with lower mortality rates in Western Europe.

True or not, these claims are proof that many still question the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines, despite the World Health Organisation backing them, noting that they remain a critical tool in preventing severe illness and death.

With inputs from agencies