Deaths of JetBlue pilots falsely connected to COVID-19 vaccine

A post that’s being shared on Facebook suggests that five JetBlue pilots died in connection to the COVID-19 vaccine, but there’s no evidence to support that. 

"HORRIFIC!" the July 17 post says. "Five Jet Blue Airlines pilots are confirmed dead, current Jet Blue whistleblower confirms push for jab continues — how is this SAFE for you and your loved ones? How is this about HEALTH when thousands are dying and they keep PUSHING this poison with coercion?" 

The post shares a video of a talk show in which a guest says that a JetBlue pilot came forward to say that "five JetBlue pilots passed away between February of this year and May."

She says "there’s no direct information yet about their jab status" but the show’s host calls the deaths "suspicious." 

This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

JetBlue told PolitiFact that it was "aware of a report that mentions four of our pilots and one inflight crew member who have passed away this year," but said there is "no connection in their deaths or to the COVID-19 vaccine." 

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"The social media video appears designed to intentionally deceive the public and should not be considered a trusted source of information," the company said. 

In 2020, JetBlue’s full-time staff included about 3,700 pilots and 4,300 flight attendants, according to its annual report.

The names of people who died are given in the video in the post. We reviewed their obituaries and found no mention of COVID-19, a vaccine, or the coronavirus. 

The obituary of one of the men says he died of kidney cancer. The obituary of a second man says he died after a utility task vehicle accident. The family requested that people attending his memorial service "wear masks to protect those who are immunocompromised, have health problems, and/or are vulnerable." The obituary for a third man, a JetBlue crew member,  just says that he died "unexpectedly," and obituaries for the other two men make no mention of cause of death. 

Searching more broadly online we found nothing to connect their deaths to the COVID-19 vaccine. 

We previously fact-checked a similar claim that the death of four British Airways pilots was connected to the COVID-19 vaccine. British Airways said the deaths weren’t connected to the vaccine. We rated that claim False. 

This one merits the same. The suggestion that the deaths of these JetBlue employees was caused by a COVID-19 vaccine is unfounded and in some cases contradicted by the available evidence. We rate it False.