Fact check: Do COVID-19 vaccines cause an 82% miscarriage rate?
The article examines Johnson’s claim that COVID-19 vaccines produced an 82% miscarriage rate and explains why the study does not support it.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates WGAL, where this article appeared. The other scores rate the article itself.
WGAL is an established local television news outlet, and this article was republished through a stated fact-checking partnership with PolitiFact. The underlying reporting is clearly attributed, though the page itself is not original WGAL reporting.
- Source type — Established local television news outlet republishing a fact check through a partnership.
- Transparency — The article identifies PolitiFact as the original publisher and states the nature of the partnership.
- Author attribution — The article is attributed to PolitiFact, but no individual author is identified in the supplied article text.
- Editorial standards — The detailed fact-check cites studies, experts and institutional guidance.
The article explains how the 82% figure was calculated, gives the relevant study denominators and follow-up results, and supports its conclusion with additional research and named expert commentary. It includes Johnson’s explanation through his spokesperson, though the evidence presented is largely in opposition to his claim.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article gives Johnson’s claim and his spokesperson’s explanation, then compares them with the original study, its follow-up and other research. Most of the evidence and cited expert views support the fact check’s conclusion, with limited presentation of a substantive counterargument.
- Counterarguments presented — Includes Johnson’s claim and his spokesperson’s explanation of its source.
- Source diversity — Cites study findings, an expert and professional medical guidance, but does not include a detailed opposing expert assessment.
- Opinion vs reporting — Presents a fact check with a stated rating and supporting evidence rather than an opinion column.
- Loaded language — Uses some evaluative phrasing, but explains the basis for its assessment.
The article uses a conventional fact-check format, attributes Johnson’s claim and his spokesperson’s response, and evaluates the claim against study findings. Its conclusion is critical of Johnson’s statement, but the framing is evidence-focused rather than clearly partisan.
- Language tone — Mostly factual and measured, with the conclusion tied to the cited evidence.
- Source selection — Uses study findings, an expert, Johnson’s spokesperson and medical guidance.
- Framing — Frames the article as a check of a specific, verifiable statistical claim.
- Headline — The headline poses a question without asserting a partisan conclusion.
Cites Politifact
This article cites Politifact as its original publisher. ChamberLight has not verified that it is a republication, so the scores are WGAL's own.
20 stories · 82–84 · updated Oct 1, 2026
This is Politifact's own score. The Source Check scores are for WGAL and this article.
A PolitiFact fact check says Sen. Ron Johnson misrepresented a pregnancy-vaccine study when he claimed it showed an 82% miscarriage rate. The article says the figure excluded most vaccinated participants and that later studies found no increased miscarriage risk.
Johnson cited a 2021 study and said it showed an 82% miscarriage rate among women vaccinated in the first or second trimester. The article explains that the figure came from excluding 700 pregnancies that were already in the third trimester, leaving a denominator of 127 women whose pregnancies had ended by the study cutoff; many other early-vaccinated participants were still pregnant.
The article reports that a follow-up study found a cumulative miscarriage risk of 12.8% to 14.1%, and cites further research that found no increased risk. It rates Johnson’s statement “False.”
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Former nominee for surgeon general who asked Fauci about vaccination timing during pregnancy
Former president referenced in connection with his health officials
Former CDC director who was part of the text-message conversation
Senator who released Fauci’s text messages with Johnson
Part of a bigger story
16 OUTLETSRon Johnson and Rand Paul released messages from Anthony Fauci’s government phone discussing COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. Center outlets focus on fact-checking Johnson’s 82% miscarriage-rate claim and explaining what the study data and later research show. Right-leaning outlets stress the contrast between Fauci’s private messages and public assurances, alongside Johnson’s pursuit of records or testimony.
- ARTICLES
- 19
- OUTLETS
- 16
- AVG CRED
- 66
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