Last Updated on December 20, 2022 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
Several social media posts claim COVID-19 Vaccine causes this syndrome. We fact-checked and found the claim to be Mostly False. No credible evidence confirms Covid vaccine cause Stiff Person Syndrome.
The Claim
After Celine Dion announced through an Instagram post that she is suffering from Stiff Person Syndrome, Twitter users and an Instagram user claimed the cause of her condition is Covid vaccine.
Fact Check
What is Stiff Person Syndrome?
According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) website, Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) is a rare progressive neurological disorder that causes stiff muscles and muscle spasms. Sensitivity to noise, touch, and emotional distress triggers the condition.
The John Hopkins Medicine website informs that the cause of Stiff Person Syndrome is a rare condition that affects only about one or two in a million people. Also, the exact cause is unknown. The National Health Service website shows that this syndrome is an autoimmune reaction common in people with higher levels of antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase.
Does Covid vaccine cause Stiff Person Syndrome?
Not exactly. No evidence confirms Stiff Person Syndrome is a side effect of Covid vaccine.
Social media users have shared a Pfizer document named Cumulative Analysis of Post-authorization Adverse Event Reports to claim that the Pfizer Covid vaccine causes Stiff Person Syndrome. It appears in the Pfizer safety document in the list of adverse events of special interest.
We analyzed this document and found the list talks about adverse events that can occur after getting vaccinated. THIP MEDIA has previously debunked a fake claim Pfizer’s safety document confirms that the Covid vaccine is unsafe to show adverse events not necessarily impact people. Adverse events are health issues that have occurred after the vaccination regardless of whether the vaccine caused it or not. Side effects are health issues that occur only due to vaccines. The Pfizer safety document does not confirm Stiff Person Syndrome is a side effect of Covid vaccine. Even Celine Dion has not confirmed that Covid vaccine is behind her health condition.