# Causal Overgeneralization of COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Events Undermines Scientific Integrity: A Technical Report

## TL;DR

This paper warns that wrongly blaming all health issues after vaccination on the vaccine itself harms science and public trust.

## Contribution

The paper emphasizes the need for rigorous statistical methods to distinguish true vaccine adverse events from coincidences.

## Key findings

- Overgeneralization of adverse events following vaccination can obscure real safety signals.
- Robust epidemiological and mechanistic assessments are essential for accurate vaccine safety evaluation.
- Misattribution of health events fuels misinformation and undermines public confidence in vaccines.

## Abstract

Public discourse surrounding COVID-19 vaccines has often been marred by the overgeneralization of adverse events, where any health issue following vaccination is presumed to be vaccine-induced. This misattribution undermines pharmacovigilance efforts, making it harder to identify true safety signals, while fueling misinformation. Given the large-scale, global vaccination effort, coincidental health events are inevitable and must be distinguished from genuine adverse reactions using robust epidemiological and mechanistic assessments. This editorial highlights the importance of statistical rigor in vaccine safety evaluations, emphasizing the need for objective, evidence-based analysis to maintain scientific integrity and public trust.