Elon Musk Shares Severe COVID Vaccine Reaction After Pfizer Testimony

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and owner of X, shared a personal account of severe side effects from his second COVID-19 vaccine dose on April 12, 2026, reigniting discussions about vaccine safety in response to testimony from a former Pfizer executive before a German parliamentary inquiry.

In the post, Musk described his initial COVID-19 infection as mild, comparable to a common cold or flu, before vaccines were available. He contrasted this with his reaction to the second shot, stating it "nearly sent me to the hospital" and "felt like I was dying." Musk added that the vaccine dosage appeared too high and administered too frequently. The statement, which garnered widespread attention on X, referenced claims made by Dr. Helmut Sterz, a retired toxicologist who previously served as head of toxicology at Pfizer's European operations.

Sterz testified on March 19, 2026, before Germany's Bundestag Corona Enquete Commission, where he estimated that 20,000 to 60,000 deaths in Germany could be linked to Pfizer's Comirnaty vaccine. His figure derives from 2,133 deaths reported to the Paul Ehrlich Institute, Germany's vaccine regulatory body, following vaccination. Sterz applied an...