It is very unlikely Justin Bieber’s Ramsay Hunt syndrome and Hailey Baldwin Bieber’s blood clot were caused by COVID-19 vaccines

On June 10th, pop singer Justin Bieber announced in a video on Instagram that he was canceling his upcoming shows because he had contracted Ramsay Hunt syndrome, an illness caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes the chickenpox.  Following Bieber's announcement, social media saw a large amount of false and misleading claims about COVID-19 vaccines and Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.

Several people also claim that Justin Bieber’s wife, Hailey Baldwin Bieber, who suffered stroke-like symptoms caused by a blood clot in her brain in March, is also a victim of the COVID-19 vaccine. There is no evidence that these ailments have anything to do with the COVID-19 vaccines. Neither Justin nor Haley mentioned COVID-19 vaccines as a factor in their recent illnesses. It’s also not publicly known whether either of them has received a vaccine. 

There have been reports of people developing shingles or Ramsay Hunt after a COVID-19 infection. We do know that Justin Bieber canceled a show in Las Vegas back in February because he tested positive for COVID. 

Dr. Anna Wald, head of the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington School of Medicine explains... 

“Shingles – of which Ramsay Hunt is a type – has been reported to occur after Covid-19 vaccines, but it would occur within a few weeks of vaccine if it were to be considered potentially related.  Thus far, it is not clear whether there is an increased risk for shingles after a Covid-19 vaccine.  However there is for sure an increased risk for shingles after Covid-19.  Again, to be related, it would have to be within a few weeks of the infection – so Bieber’s case of Ramsay Hunt does not seem to related to Covid-19, which he had in February (unless he just had it again), and it is also unlikely due to vaccine.  

The syndrome of clotting that has been described following adenoviral vector vaccines is very rare and severe – not at all what Hailey Bieber had.  Her brain blood clot was attributed to a clot that went to her brain through small hole she had in her heart which is a known risk factor for these type of events as she experienced.  Of note, she had Covid-19 before her event and blood clots are widely recognized as being a common complication of Covid-19. 

Bottom line: Risk for both shingles/Ramsay Hunt syndrome and for clots is more common after having Covid-19 than after the vaccine.”