The documentary An Inconvenient Study, produced by Del Bigtree and the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN), centers on an unpublished retrospective birth cohort study conducted by researchers at Henry Ford Health System, led by Dr. Marcus Zervos, head of infectious diseases. Completed around 2020, the study compared health outcomes in vaccinated and unvaccinated children using existing medical records from the institution, which had previously run Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trials and maintained a pro-vaccine stance.
Bigtree recounts initiating contact with Dr. Zervos during a 2016 dinner while touring for his earlier film Vaxxed. He challenged Zervos to perform a vaccinated-versus-unvaccinated comparison of all health outcomes, arguing that true scientific integrity required testing such claims from a pro-vaccine perspective to minimize perceived bias from critics. After years of follow-up, Zervos and his team completed the analysis but declined to publish or submit it for peer review. Bigtree alleges this stemmed from fear of career repercussions in a climate hostile to findings questioning vaccine safety.
In hidden-camera footage featured in the documentary, Zervos reportedly describes the study as well-designed and important but states publishing it would end his career. He allegedly admits the results did not align with expectations, suggesting vaccines correlate with higher chronic disease rates rather than better health. Bigtree obtained the study draft during a recorded dinner meeting.
The film emphasizes that no childhood vaccines on the current U.S. schedule underwent pre-licensure placebo-controlled prospective trials comparable to those for other drugs, making retrospective analyses like this one critical for assessing long-term effects. Bigtree positions the Henry Ford study as particularly compelling because it originated from a mainstream, vaccine-supportive institution.
Reported findings include vaccinated children facing significantly elevated risks: approximately 2.5 times higher for chronic diseases overall (autoimmune or neurological), six times higher for neurodevelopmental disorders, and nearly six times for autoimmune conditions. Projections suggested that by age 10, about 57% of vaccinated children might develop a chronic disease, compared to 17% of unvaccinated ones—differences described as “off the scale” compared to typical study effect sizes.
Senator Ron Johnson entered the study into the congressional record during a 2025 hearing on vaccine science corruption, making it publicly available on Senate websites and An Inconvenient Study, where the full documentary (under 90 minutes and reportedly nearing 100 million views) and related materials, including responses to Henry Ford’s cease-and-desist letters, can be accessed freely.
Henry Ford Health maintains the study was not published because it failed to meet rigorous scientific standards, citing methodological flaws in retrospective data (e.g., potential confounding, unbalanced group sizes, lack of peer review, and unavailable raw data for independent verification). Critics, including mainstream outlets, describe it as rejected science rather than suppressed truth, noting the absence of authors at hearings and no public rebuttal from Zervos.
Bigtree argues the pattern—seen in about 10 similar retrospective studies worldwide—consistently shows worse outcomes in vaccinated groups, demanding replication by major institutions to resolve debates. He frames the issue within broader concerns: rising U.S. chronic disease rates (from ~12% in the 1980s to over 50% today among children), environmental factors, and corporate influence on policy, including liability protections.
The documentary calls for transparency, informed choice, ending medical mandates, and reevaluating the vaccine schedule—echoing Bigtree’s advocacy for medical freedom and voluntary vaccination. While not proving causation, it presents the findings as a “major signal” warranting urgent, unbiased investigation to address America’s childhood health crisis.
Watch the movie for free at www.aninconvenientstudy.com.
