Elon Musk claims COVID booster shot almost hospitalised him, raises concern over mandate

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has ignited a debate by sharing his experience with COVID-19 vaccines, stating that his third shot nearly landed him in the hospital. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Musk reposted a video suggesting a decline in COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness worldwide and the suspension of vaccine use in some countries. He expressed strong opposition to mandatory vaccinations.

In response to a comment on the video, Musk expressed his concerns about the "outrageous demand" for mandatory vaccination and multiple booster shots, which he found troubling. "My concern was more the outrageous demand that people must take the vaccine and multiple boosters to do anything at all. That was messed up," Musk stated.

My concern was more the outrageous demand that people *must* take the vaccine and multiple boosters to do anything at all. That was messed up.

Until the Supreme Court invalidated Biden’s exec order, SpaceX and many other companies would have been forced to fire anyone who…

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk)

"As for myself, I got original COVID before the vaccine was out (mild cold symptoms) and had to get three vaccines for travel," Musk wrote, adding, "The third shot almost sent me to [the] hospital."

He further asserted that he would have preferred facing imprisonment over enforcing a mandatory vaccine policy for his workers. However, Musk did not provide specific details about the symptoms he experienced after receiving his third vaccine shot, which he claimed almost led to hospitalisation.

Musk's support for vaccines and public debate

While Musk highlighted his belief in vaccines, he also stressed the importance of evaluating the cure's potential side effects compared to the disease itself. He argued that public debate over vaccine efficacy should not be stifled. Musk closed his statement by highlighting the significant potential of synthetic mRNA in curing various diseases, urging caution in assessing vaccine benefits and risks.

Rare side effects of COVID-19 vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines, including mRNA vaccines, have been reported to cause certain side effects, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Common side effects include pain and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, chills, and muscle aches. However, extremely rare cases of myocarditis or pericarditis, which involve inflammation of the heart muscle or its outer lining, have been reported in some vaccine recipients.

The CDC states that while these conditions are typically mild and self-healing, in rare instances, they may require medical attention or be fatal. Data from May 2022 reported 635 cases of myocarditis out of 54.8 million doses of mRNA vaccines administered to children aged 5 to 17.

The CDC clarifies that any health issue occurring after vaccination is considered an adverse event and may or may not be linked to the vaccine.