Instagram Influencer's Vaccine Side Effects Are Unlikely

 It’s unclear whether De Silva actually has the tremors she recorded in her Instagram videos. But if she does, it’s unlikely that they are connected to a vaccine against the coronavirus. If her symptoms are real, this may be an instance of coincidence vs. causation.

There is a glaring inconsistency in her remarks that makes it difficult to believe the claim. Firstly, in her original Instagram post, De Silva says she got her first Pfizer dose in Nevada on March 18. But the earliest De Silva, 23, could have been vaccinated in Nevada was March 22, according to a press release from Gov. Steve Sisolak’s office. “On March 22, vaccination opportunities will be available to all Nevadans aged 16 and older with underlying health conditions,” the release, dated March 17, says. 

Despite that inconsistency, scores of people on social media are sharing her story earnestly. One tweet from a user who called the videos “heartbreaking,” for example, got nearly 500 likes.

But there is plenty of skepticism around De Silva’s claims. A petition calling the shutdown of her GoFundMe page, which has raised more than $18,000, is circulating. The Change.org user who wrote that petition points out that in videos posted months after De Silva allegedly got her first dose, she is seen talking and walking normally. MISBAR has not seen these videos and can’t make a clear conclusion on their validity. 

A pop culture news site said GoFundMe is investigating the claims and is refunding all the money to the donors who contributed. But there’s no indication that this is actually happening on De Silva’s GoFundMe page. In fact, since that article has been published, it appears that more people have donated money. 

De Silva, for her part, has been insisting that her story is true. In a follow-up Instagram post, published on August 25, De Silva included screenshots of redacted medical records. It’s unclear whether those are real, but they indicate she’s had multiple neurological visits to the doctor over the course of months. She also appears to have had MRI scans of the brain multiple times, according to the records she posted online. 

Health officials have long said that all three vaccines in the United States are safe and effective and have been rigorously tested. Tremors or shaking have not been found to be side effects of vaccines. For Pfizer and Moderna, which both require two doses to be fully vaccinated, it’s likely that individuals would experience side effects like pain in the injection site and fatigue or fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adverse effects can be reported to the Health and Human Services Department at this link.