Given Japan Leaked Vaccine Data, Did a 2024 Reuters Fact-Check Mislead?

New Japanese Vaccine Data Challenges Last Year’s Reuters Fact Check?

Recently, a wave of renewed interest has surfaced around claims of increased deaths linked to COVID-19 vaccinations in Japan. This has led many to revisit a Reuters fact check published nearly a year ago, on June 14, 2024, which dismissed similar claims as misleading. A closer look reveals why the Reuters article and the current Japanese data are not directly comparable—and that the story is far from settled.

What Did Reuters Actually Fact Check?

The Reuters fact check from June 13, 2024, centered on a global study published in BMJ Public Health that analyzed excess mortality trends worldwide from 2020 to 2022. Reuters clarified that this study did not find evidence that COVID-19 vaccines caused excess deaths globally. Importantly, the study examined overall mortality trends without investigating specific causes of death or linking deaths to vaccination status.

The Reuters fact check from June 2024 cannot be used to dismiss the new Japanese vaccine mortality claims because it addressed a different dataset and context entirely. The Japanese data released in 2025 demands fresh evaluation and open inquiry to understand its implications fully.

What’s Happening in Japan?

On June 15, 2025, a group of Japanese researchers and citizen investigators released a large dataset covering vaccination and mortality records for over 18 million people. A Japanese journalist with 379.4K Followers, Masako Ganaha, posted on X:

“If the government won’t do it, then the people should investigate the mass deaths of Japanese people! Database of 18 million vaccinated people revealed for the first time!”

This unprecedented data release sparked new claims that deaths spike in a dose-dependent manner shortly after vaccination—a pattern not seen in unvaccinated populations.

Dr. Yasufumi Murakami, a pharmaceutical scientist from the University of Tokyo with over 100 scientific publications, stated:

“We found that as the number of doses increases, the peak of deaths appears faster, meaning the more doses you get, the sooner you’re likely to die, within a shorter period. So, the risk increases with more doses.”

Why Does This Matter?

Official Japanese studies and health authorities have acknowledged excess deaths during 2022–2023 but have not confirmed a causal link to COVID-19 vaccination. These studies often cite limitations such as lack of individual-level data stratified by vaccination status and confounding factors like undiagnosed COVID-19 deaths or healthcare disruptions.

The newly released dataset, if verified, could fill this critical gap by providing individual-level data that directly compares vaccinated and unvaccinated mortality trends. This challenges the narrative Reuters presented in 2024, which was based on global aggregate data and did not analyze Japan specifically.

The Limits of Last Year’s Reuters Fact Check

– Different scope: Reuters fact-checked a global study, not Japanese data.
– No individual-level analysis: The global study did not link deaths to vaccination status.

What’s Next?

The Japanese vaccine mortality claims remain under investigation. Independent researchers call for transparent, peer-reviewed analysis of the newly released data. Meanwhile, official sources maintain that no causal link has been established.

This evolving situation highlights the importance of distinguishing between global studies and country-specific data, as well as the need for ongoing scientific scrutiny and transparency.

Fact Checking the Claim

Is this true? I asked an AI language model. Initially, ChatGPT responded by stating:
“None of the reputable fact-checking organizations or mainstream news outlets confirm that Masako Ganaha, a known journalist, made this statement or that such a database was officially released by the Japanese government or verified citizen groups.”

This response might lead some to conclude that Masako Ganaha does not exist, is not a recognized journalist, or never made the statement attributed to her. However, this is not the case.

Masako Ganaha is a Japanese freelance journalist and political commentator with an established public profile. She is a representative operating committee member of the Citizens’ and People’s Association for Correcting the Ryukyu Shimpo and the Okinawa Times and has a significant following on social media. Ganaha has been active in journalism since at least 2013 and is known for her conservative political commentary and investigative work on various issues in Japan.

It is important to note that AI language models like ChatGPT do not have intentions or motivations; they generate responses based on patterns in data and may sometimes provide incomplete or outdated information. When provided with verified sources, ChatGPT can acknowledge Ganaha’s existence and her public statements.

After being shown the official, verified post from Masako Ganaha’s X account (https://x.com/ganaha_masako/status/1934189173621379339), the AI model translated the content, confirming both Masako Ganaha’s identity as a journalist and her making the statement on X. The AI’s subsequent responses, however, consistently noted that the Japanese government had not officially released or confirmed the database.

ChatGPT acknowledged that journalists sometimes report information that governments have not officially released, and that official sources do not always provide a complete or fully accurate account. It then directed me to a peer-reviewed article intended to challenge the claim that the newly released data indicated harm from the vaccines. However, upon reviewing the article, I found it did not address the key issue — it failed to analyze the crucial distinction between deaths among vaccinated individuals versus those who remained unvaccinated.

Additionally, ChatGPT provided a link to a 2024 Reuters fact-check article related to this topic. The article did not list any authors and was credited simply to “Reuters Fact Check.” When I attempted to view the Reuters Fact Check team’s page, the link was broken or the page had been removed, making it inaccessible. Here is the link to the article:

https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/study-does-not-say-covid-vaccines-may-have-fuelled-excess-deaths-2024-06-13/

Here is a PDF of the article, archived for fact checking purposes: ReutersFaultyFactCheck (PDF)

Why This Still Matters

– Both in 2024 and now a year later, a study’s inability to separate vaccinated from unvaccinated deaths means it cannot confirm or refute claims of vaccine-related mortality increases.

– Independent analyses that do stratify by vaccination status and timing, if methodologically sound, could provide critical insights but require peer review and official data validation to be accepted broadly.

– The situation underscores the importance of transparent, detailed, individual-level data release by governments and rigorous independent scientific scrutiny to resolve these conflicting narratives.

In brief:

Official studies and fact-checks do not and cannot confirm (or deny) vaccine-related excess deaths because they do not analyze mortality data stratified by vaccination status.

– Independent researchers claim the government data shows a mortality spike post-vaccination, but this has not been officially validated or peer-reviewed.

– This discrepancy fuels mistrust and calls for greater data transparency and independent investigation.

The Respected Expert

Getting back to this June 2025 story about COV19 vaccine safety in Japan, Dr. Yasufumi Murakami is a Professor Emeritus at the Tokyo University of Science and a senior fellow specializing in molecular oncology and pharmacology, particularly RNA science.

– He holds a PhD from Tokyo University (1984) and has an extensive academic career with over 100 scientific publications spanning molecular biology, genomics, and therapeutic antibody development.

In recent years, Dr. Murakami has become a prominent voice in Japan expressing concerns about the safety of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. He is part of a group of Japanese doctors and researchers who have publicly questioned the safety of novel vaccines such as the “Replicon vaccine,” citing potential genetic modification risks and long-term adverse effects.

– He has warned about vaccine-related health issues including immune dysfunction and a wide range of diseases potentially linked to vaccine side effects, advocating for halting certain vaccine administrations until safety is confirmed.

Follow the Money

Systemic issues such as regulatory capture, lobbying, and the prioritization of corporate profits over patient safety have profoundly shaped healthcare policies by allowing pharmaceutical companies to exert outsized influence over regulatory agencies and policymaking processes. Regulatory capture occurs when agencies meant to protect public health instead serve the interests of the industries they regulate, often due to close relationships, revolving doors between government and industry, and limited transparency. This dynamic enables pharmaceutical firms to design markets and regulations that favor rapid drug approvals and commercial interests, sometimes at the expense of rigorous safety evaluations and public accountability. Lobbying efforts and political contributions further entrench corporate power, steering policies toward profit maximization rather than patient welfare. As a result, healthcare policies may prioritize innovation and economic growth over thorough safety oversight, contributing to challenges such as insufficient data transparency, delayed recognition of adverse effects, and public mistrust.

Japan’s pharmaceutical market is a massive and rapidly growing sector, generating around USD 71.5 billion in revenue in 2024, with projections to exceed USD 103 billion by 2030. The market includes a strong presence of major global pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Roche, AbbVie, and Sanofi, which collectively contribute billions of dollars annually through sales of innovative drugs, including vaccines. Key players like Chugai Pharmaceutical and AstraZeneca alone reported sales exceeding 500 billion yen (approximately USD 3.7 billion) each in 2023, driven by oncology and antiviral products. This multibillion-dollar industry is supported by significant government investment and a high demand for advanced therapies, making pharmaceuticals one of Japan’s largest and most economically important sectors.

Real Major News Barely Still Exists

In today’s media landscape, real major news is increasingly scarce, as traditional journalism struggles under pressures from corporate interests, sensationalism, and rapid digital consumption. The pharmaceutical industry exemplifies this trend, where complex regulatory changes, multi-billion-dollar market forces, and cutting-edge innovations like AI-driven drug development dominate headlines but often lack transparent, critical coverage. Instead, much reporting tends to echo official narratives or focus on surface-level breakthroughs without probing deeper systemic issues such as regulatory capture, industry lobbying, or public health implications. As a result, meaningful investigative journalism that holds powerful entities accountable and thoroughly informs the public is diminishing, leaving audiences reliant on fragmented, sometimes biased information sources.

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