Tech billionaire Elon Musk has turned a little-known parliamentary hearing into global clickbait overnight. The internet lit up after Musk amplified claims from a former Pfizer toxicologist who testified at a German inquiry, floating a jaw-dropping estimate of 20,000 to 60,000 possible COVID-19 vaccine-related deaths in Germany – an extrapolation he said accounts for underreporting.
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 [1]
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 12, 2026 [2]
The claim traces back to Dr. Helmut Sterz, who spoke at a German parliamentary commission in March 2026 and questioned how quickly vaccines were developed and other concerns.
It flew largely under the radar at the time – but now it’s being blasted across the globe after Elon Musk amplified it, sharing the claim from journalist Peter Sweden.
Germany’s own monitoring system had logged about 2,100 deaths reported after vaccination – but officials stress they are not proof of causation.
Whether Sterz’s estimate holds water or fizzles under scrutiny, one thing is clear: a single viral post from Elon Musk can turn an obscure hearing into a global flashpoint overnight.