Peter McCullough

Peter Andrew McCullough was born on December 29, 1962, in Buffalo, New York. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 1988, completed residency and cardiology fellowship training, and earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan in 1996. He built a genuine and extensive academic career, publishing over 1,000 peer-reviewed articles and becoming one of the most cited cardiologists in the United States, specializing in chronic kidney disease as a cardiovascular risk state.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, McCullough began advocating publicly for early outpatient treatment protocols combining hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, zinc, and other repurposed drugs, claiming these were being suppressed by health authorities. He testified before the Texas Senate in March 2021 and later appeared before the U.S. Senate, making claims that contradicted the CDC, FDA, and NIH guidelines. His testimony attracted enormous media attention because his otherwise-legitimate credentials made him appear authoritative.

In February 2021, McCullough separated from Baylor Scott & White Health under a confidential agreement. When he continued publicly associating himself with Baylor after the separation, the institution sued him to stop. He was subsequently removed from faculty positions at Texas A&M College of Medicine and the TCU/UNTHSC School of Medicine. In October 2022, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) began revocation proceedings against his certifications in cardiovascular disease and internal medicine, citing promotion of misinformation. Both certifications were formally revoked in January 2025.

McCullough continued to escalate his claims after losing institutional affiliations, asserting that COVID-19 vaccines cause widespread cardiac deaths, AIDS-like immune suppression, and other severe harms. He became a fixture on conservative media and appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast and other high-profile platforms. His case is a significant example of how legitimate prior credentialing can be weaponized to lend false authority to misinformation, with real-world consequences for vaccination uptake and public health.

“COVID-19 vaccines cause widespread sudden cardiac death and should be recalled”

Science Feedback and independent experts found that McCullough repeatedly misrepresented peer-reviewed studies to support this claim. None of the studies he cited found that COVID-19 vaccines increase sudden death risk; one study of vaccinated autopsies explicitly clarified that none of the deaths were vaccine-caused. Multiple large-scale studies confirm that vaccination reduces all-cause mortalit

“Hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin are effective treatments for COVID-19 that health authorities are suppressing”

Multiple large, randomized controlled trials including the WHO's Solidarity trial and the Oxford RECOVERY trial found no benefit of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19. Similarly, multiple well-designed trials found ivermectin did not reduce COVID-19 severity. McCullough's advocacy for these treatments during legislative testimony in Texas helped spread these claims widely.

“COVID-19 vaccines cause myocarditis at high rates and pose serious death risk”

Vaccine-associated myocarditis is a recognized but rare side effect, primarily in young males after the second mRNA dose, that is typically mild and self-resolving. McCullough vastly overstated its prevalence and severity. The risk of myocarditis from COVID-19 infection itself is significantly higher than from vaccination, a fact he consistently omitted.