FACT CHECK: Misamis Oriental family deaths in 2021 due to COVID-19, not vaccines

A viral Facebook reel recycles a report from a 2021 incident involving four family members in Misamis Oriental; the health department has clarified that the deaths were associated with COVID-19 infection, not vaccination

AT A GLANCE

• A Facebook reel falsely claims that four family members in Misamis Oriental died due to COVID-19 vaccines, garnering significant online engagement.
• The incident happened in 2021. The Department of Health (DOH) found that the individuals had COVID-19 symptoms prior to vaccination, and investigations indicated they were likely already infected.
• The DOH concluded that there was no causal link between the vaccinations and the deaths, emphasizing the need to combat misinformation about vaccines.

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Claim: Four members of one family in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, died because of COVID-19 vaccines after receiving their jabs. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A widely shared Facebook reel claims that four members of the same family died because of COVID-19 vaccines. Posted on August 16, 2026, it garnered around 19,400 reactions, 1,700 comments, and 19,000 shares as of writing.

The reel was posted by the Facebook account Unsa Gyod Gisulti SaBibliya, which has around 60,000 followers.

The account’s biography shows an anti-vaccination position, stating: “Va666ines= Mark Of The Beast! ✓Mandated (Rev13:16) ✓Required (Rev13:17) ✓Deceit (Rev18:23,19:20).”

It also has multiple reels opposing vaccines, many of which use the phrase, “Va666$in TATAK666 ng Antikristo nililinlang at nilalason mga kabataan.”

(Vaccines are marks of the Antichrist, deceiving and poisoning the youth.)

The post presents the incident, using a news report from GMA Regional TV, as evidence that COVID-19 vaccines were responsible for the deaths and questions the Department of Health (DOH)’s explanation of the case. 

The facts: The four deaths were real, occurring between August 1 and 8, 2021, but available evidence does not support the claim that COVID-19 vaccination caused them. 

According to an August 21, 2021 report by the Philippine News Agency, the DOH Region 10 found that the four individuals showed COVID-19 symptoms.

About 10 family members and neighbors were also infected. Investigators identified possible exposure at a wake in Barangay Patag, Cagayan de Oro City, and at a family birthday gathering. 

Jasper Kent Ola, the nurse-epidemiologist who supervised the investigation, explained that the deaths occurred successively because of the different infection and incubation periods of the virus.

The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) later reported on August 23, 2021 that the four deceased family members tested positive for COVID-19 through RT-PCR tests. 

The DOH-10 Regional Adverse Effect Following Immunization Committee also conducted a causality assessment based on case-tracking reports and found that the cases were “inconsistent with causal association to immunization.”

Investigators concluded that the individuals were likely already incubating the virus around the time of immunization.

Vaccination in the Philippines: The Facebook reel surfaced amid the DOH’s rollout of its nationwide Measles-Rubella Supplementary Immunization Activity this month. In an August 27 PIA report, the DOH said false information about vaccines continues to circulate on social media and may discourage parents from having their children immunized.

To counter this, the health department is partnering with local government units to conduct health education sessions and share reliable information on vaccines through social media.

Earlier, Rappler debunked circulating posts casting doubt on the safety of the measles-rubella vaccines. – Ahyenne Neleah Estacio/Rappler.com

Ahyenne Neleah Estacio is a graduating Bachelor of Arts in Communication student and campus journalist at Holy Angel University. The current senior editor and former editor-in-chief of The Angelite, she is an Aries Rufo Fellow for 2026.

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