Twitter accused of 'censoring obituaries' over fact-check of young mother who died from vaccine-related illness

Twitter faced sharp criticism Sunday after the social media platform fact-checked the obituary of a Washington mother who died from a reaction directly related to the COVID-19 vaccine.

What happened?

On Friday, a Twitter user shared the obituary of Jessica Berg Wilson, who died last month from COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia. The obituary described Wilson as "an exceptionally healthy and vibrant 37-year-old young mother with no underlying health conditions."

The obituary explained that Wilson was opposed to the vaccine and blamed "heavy-handed vaccine mandates" — she lived in Seattle — for causing her untimely death.

The obituary explained:

During the last weeks of her life, however, the world turned dark with heavy-handed vaccine mandates. Local and state governments were determined to strip away her right to consult her wisdom and enjoy her freedom. She had been vehemently opposed to taking the vaccine, knowing she was in good health and of a young age and thus not at risk for serious illness.

In her mind, the known and unknown risks of the unproven vaccine were more of a threat. But, slowly, day by day, her freedom to choose was stripped away. Her passion to be actively involved in her children's education—which included being a Room Mom—was, once again, blocked by government mandate.

Ultimately, those who closed doors and separated mothers from their children prevailed. It cost Jessica her life. It cost her children the loving embrace of their caring mother. And it cost her husband the sacred love of his devoted wife. It cost God's Kingdom on earth a very special soul who was just making her love felt in the hearts of so many.

What did Twitter do?

The social media platform reportedly slapped a "misleading" label on the tweet sharing the obituary and prevented it from being shared on the Twitter platform.

The Daily Mail reported:

Twitter flagged the tweet as "misleading" with a link to an article on "why health officials consider COVID-19 vaccines safe for most people." The tweet was also "shadow banned," meaning it cannot be replied to, shared or liked.

Twitter later reversed its moderation decision. The "misleading" label and link to a fact-check no longer appear on the original tweet. Still, Twitter was accused of "censoring obituaries."

How common is VITT?

VITT, the disease that killed Wilson, is "extremely rare," according to the American College of Cardiology, although it does sometimes kill people who have taken the Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca COVID vaccine.

"The incidence of VITT is not certain, but it appears to be extremely rare. A recent report in JACC found that cerebral vein thrombosis occurred in 3.6 per million people after the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and 0.9 per million people after Johnson & Johnson vaccine," the ACC explained. "For comparison, the rate of cerebral vein thrombosis is estimated at 207 per million in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and 2.4 per million in the general population. The risk of death and serious outcomes of COVID-19 (including thrombosis) far outweigh the small risk of VITT."

Of note, the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine remains unauthorized in the United States.