The U.K. has seen a significant increase in the number of people on long-term sick leave since the spring of 2021, coinciding with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Healthcare commentator John Campbell, Ph.D., has questioned the government's transparency and handling of data regarding disability and deaths.
In a video posted on March 21, Campbell highlighted an exchange in Parliament between Andrew Bridgen MP and Mel Stride, the U.K.'s secretary of state for Work and Pensions. Bridgen raised concerns about the rise in long-term sick individuals in the country, stating that it had increased from 2.1 million pre-pandemic to 2.8 million. He suggested a potential correlation between the increase and the vaccination rollout.
Stride questioned the accuracy of Bridgen's statement, attributing the rise in long-term sickness to mental health issues, muscle, and skeletal issues. He emphasized that he did not believe COVID-19 vaccines to be unsafe.
Campbell expressed disbelief at senior politicians' claims that COVID-19 vaccines are safe. He criticized their refusal to acknowledge potential adverse reactions and questioned what would happen when the truth about these reactions is revealed.
To support Bridgen's claims, Campbell presented data from the U.K. Health Advisory and Recovery Team (HART). HART's graphs, based on data from the U.K.'s Office for National Statistics, showed a significant increase in economically inactive individuals due to long-term sickness since February to April 2021 for women and April to June 2021 for men. HART stated that this rise coincided with the vaccine rollout and that other factors causing this increase are difficult to determine.
Similar findings were observed in U.S. disability trends, as referenced in a HART document.
Campbell also criticized the U.K.'s Office for Health Improvements and Disparities (OHID) for stopping reporting causes of death in the country for 2024. He noted that the Office for National Statistics changed its monitoring of excess deaths, which reduced the apparent excess deaths throughout 2023. However, this change did not affect the number of deaths or the grief experienced by relatives.
Campbell presented data from OHID showing excess mortality in England across various age groups. The data revealed increased deaths unrelated to COVID-19 in the 0-24 age group starting in 2021 and continuing through 2022 and 2023. Similar patterns were observed in other age groups.
He also presented data showing changes in the causes of death in England since 2021, including notable increases in deaths from heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. In contrast, deaths from other respiratory diseases decreased.
Campbell expressed frustration with the government's lack of transparency and incomplete responses to questions. He questioned how long the government could continue denying the issue.
The evidence presented by Campbell raises important questions about the correlation between the vaccine rollout and the increase in long-term sickness in the U.K. It highlights the need for further investigation and transparency regarding the adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines.
Watch John Campbell's report:
