The debate around the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine is gaining traction. The US tech billionaire and Tesla CEO has also joined the controversial debate. Musk recently claimed that after taking the second dose of the vaccine, he fell severely ill. Musk posted on his X handle that he “contracted the original Wuhan virus” even before the vaccines came into the market. He compared the COVID-19 infection to a normal cold or flu, saying it was unpleasant but not terrible. However, Musk was critical of the second vaccine shot, saying it “almost sent me to the hospital” and felt like he was “dying”. He criticised the dosage and frequency of the vaccination, saying it was “obviously too high.”
COVID-19 Vaccine Killed Thousands? Musk Joins The Debate
Musk’s comment about the COVID pandemic and the vaccination came as global debate around vaccine safety intensifies. According to reports, Musk has in the past spoken against the mandatory vaccination policies. Reports quote Musk saying that he would have chosen “going to jail” rather than forcing his employees to get vaccinated.
Debate has also gained traction around booster shots and individual immune responses. Musk’s comments came amid a former Pfizer toxicologist telling Germany’s parliament during a hearing that the mRNA vaccine produced to treat COVID-19 symptoms should never have been approved. He claimed that thousands of deaths in Germany may have been linked to the COVID-19 vaccine.
The vaccine dosage was obviously too high and done too many times.
I had the original Wuhan virus before there was any vaccine and it was much like any other cold/flu. Bad, but not terrible.
But my second vaccine shot almost sent me to the hospital. Felt like I was dying. https://t.co/rFuUpzBkKH
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 12, 2026
What Experts Say About Claims Of COVID-19 Vaccines Killing People
Last year, the Indian Council of Medical Research debunked claims of the Corona vaccine being responsible for the rising death cases among the youth. A panel of expert doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences has also addressed the issue.
According to Associate Professor Dr Karan Madan, Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, AIIMS Delhi, a study was conducted on sudden cardiac arrests to review the COVID-19 vaccines used so far, following which “no clear association was found with sudden cardiac deaths.”
Dr Madan mentioned that COVID vaccines were effective and they played a crucial role in reducing the mortality of the Coronavirus. He stated that during any pandemic, vaccines are the only possible measures to save lives and the benefits provided by them are immense.
“COVID vaccines were effective vaccines and they played a crucial role in reducing the mortality. During the pandemic, vaccines are the only possible measure to save lives. Vaccines were used on a large number of people, and they provided a lot of benefits in preventing excess mortality. The benefits provided by the vaccines are immense. A study was done on sudden cardiac deaths to review the vaccines used so far, but no clear association was found with sudden cardiac deaths”, Dr Karan Madan said during the press briefing, last year.
Another expert doctor from the panel, Dr Sanjay Rai, Professor at the Centre for Community Medicine, informed that the efficacy of the Covishield vaccine is 62.1. He noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved 12 vaccines out of which the majority were made from different technologies.
(With inputs from ANI)
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
