The 'Thanks Pfizer' Meme Explained And What's Going On With All These Shaking Videos?

The COVID-19 pandemic and its vaccines have sparked debate and memes. Most recently, the "Thanks Pfizer" meme has flooded Twitter with contextless "shaking" videos.

If you haven't seen them, anti-vaxxers are sharing "side effect" videos online which allegedly show seizures and tremors experienced due to the Pfizer vaccine. However, skeptics are chiming in, basically making fun of them for faking the side effect.

By now, many on Twitter and elsewhere have seen one of these memes, but how did they start and why are they so funny? Let's explain.

Where Did The 'Thanks Pfizer' Meme Come From?

Starting in late 2021, one Twitter user named @AngeliaDesselle started sharing videos taken on her phone, showing her legs shaking uncontrollably while watching TV. She blamed the visible tremors on the Pfizer vaccine.

One tweet she sent on May 7th, 2022 was the primary piece of media that inspired the later ridicule. She captioned the video, "Thanks Pfizer." A disclaimer was added beneath the video, reading:

Spasms have not been demonstrated to be a proven side effect of the covid19 vaccines. Over 11 billion vaccine doses have been administered across 184 countries and this has never been found. The shaking is very hard, uncontrollable, yet the camera remains still and level…

Thanks Pfizer pic.twitter.com/IHSFTVUf7s

— Angelia Desselle (@AngeliaDesselle) May 7, 2022

How Are 'Thanks Pfizer' Videos And Memes Being Shared Online?'

This month, other anti-vaxxer accounts started sharing more "shaking" videos, causing @AngeliaDesselle's infamous video to resurface. Thereafter, the parodies started rolling in. Most of the funny tweets shared videos of people dancing, ranging from The Office's Michael Scott to TikTok's "Brr Skibidi Dop Dop Dop Dop Yes Yes Yes Yes" guy.

This poor woman got the Pfizer vaccine and was trying to turn off a lamp when this happened 😢 please pray for her pic.twitter.com/fHCct5dlMR

— Tom Zohar (@TomZohar) January 21, 2023

🚨URGENT -- my cousin Mahmut, 45, a healthcare worker in Turkey was mandated to take Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, 3 days later, he cannot stop shaking, "i'm a prisoner in my own home"This should be considered a crime pic.twitter.com/H3lbTcwzwz

— surge mate (@SocialistMD) January 22, 2023

🚨URGENT-- Dan, 26, a healthcare worker was mandated to take Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, 3 days later getting sudden movements, severe convulsions and seizures, can no longer, clean, cook, drive a car, or go to the store without grabbing attention, "i'm a prisoner in my own home" pic.twitter.com/EuqM94IkSg

— 🌺 GERMIS 🌺 (@Germiili) January 22, 2023

Thanks Pfizer pic.twitter.com/fwDUdIBQDe https://t.co/YYOqqrTYR7

— the office clips (@theofficereacs) January 22, 2023

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For the full history of Thanks Pfizer, be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.