Early in 2025, conspiracy theorist and anti-vaccine activist Jane Orrick posted a confident prediction that everyone vaccinated against COVID would be dead by December 31, 2025. It was the kind of dramatic, end-of-the-line statement that spreads fast online because it sounds definitive and scary. The only problem is that the deadline came and went, and January 2026 arrived with a very ordinary reality check.
As the year flipped, other users started adding their own “context” to Orrick’s claim in the simplest way possible. The date on the calendar matched her prediction, yet vaccinated people were still very much alive. That tiny fact, paired with the internet’s talent for turning awkward moments into comedy, was enough to kick off a wave of jokes across social platforms.
The comments had a familiar New Year’s flavor, equal parts sarcasm and disbelief. One person wrote that they were vaccinated and still alive, asking if anyone else had missed the memo. Another wondered what time everyone was supposed to die, because they were trying to plan an outfit for the occasion. A standout one-liner summed up the mood with a blunt punchline, joking that they “forgot” to die.
@vickichanmd Happy New Year everyone! We made it! 🥳 #happynewyear #happy2026 ♬ original sound – Ring Tail
On X, the teasing only got louder once January 1 rolled in. A popular post framed the whole thing as a celebration of surviving a made-up prophecy, with a cheery New Year greeting aimed at people who put trust in science and basic reasoning. The tone was less about arguing and more about pointing out how quickly certainty collapses when it’s built on nothing but hype.
Orrick, meanwhile, didn’t jump back in to explain the miss. Her profile reportedly went quiet around mid-December 2025, which only added to the sense of anticlimax. In a space where bold predictions are often delivered with total confidence and zero accountability, silence can speak just as loudly as a retraction.
Have you ever watched a viral prediction fall apart in real time, and how do you decide when to laugh it off versus push back? Share your take in the comments.
