Claim: 2 COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories
Source: WhatsApp video
Verdict: 2 FALSE
Researched by Gifty Tracy Aminu
A video clip that has been tagged by WhatsApp as “forwarded many times” is promoting a host of COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories.
The clip shows an American television producer and CEO of the anti-vaccination group: “Informed Consent Action Network,” Del Bigtree making unfounded claims about the coronavirus pandemic and why people should not take the COVID-19 vaccines.
The 17 minutes and 31seconds long video which is captioned: “Vaccine Disaster Ahead…” also amplifies claims made by an independent researcher and COVID-19 anti-vaxxer, Geert Vanden Bossche.
With support from the WHO Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA), GhanaFact has flagged two claims made in the video as FALSE.
Claim 1
“Fact is, these long live antibodies which have high specificity of course for the virus, they out-compete our natural antibodies because the natural antibodies have a very broad spectrum that has a low affinity. The specific antibodies will continue to out-compete your natural antibodies and that is a huge problem. These natural antibodies, provide us with broad protection…” Geert Vanden Bossche partly said.
Fact-check
“Vaccination is a simple, safe, and effective way of protecting people against harmful diseases before they come into contact with them. It uses your body’s natural defenses to build resistance to specific infections and makes your immune system stronger. It produces antibodies. Antibodies are proteins produced naturally by the immune system to fight disease.” The World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
It is important to note that, COVID-19 vaccines are not the first kind to be introduced for protection against infectious disease. According to the WHO, “there are vaccines available to protect against at least 20 diseases, such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, and measles. Together, these vaccines save the lives of up to 3 million people every year.”
Vaccines train your immune system to create antibodies, just as it does when it’s exposed to a disease. However, because vaccines contain only killed or weakened forms of germs like viruses or bacteria, they do not cause the disease or put you at risk of its complications.
Verdict
The claim that vaccines will cause some specific antibodies to outcompete one’s natural antibodies is FALSE.
Claim 2
“It is a global problem of making this virus increasingly infectious because we live it all the time a chance and opportunity to escape with the immune system and to drive this up to a level that the virus is so infectious that we can even no longer control it.” Geert Vanden Bossche partly said
Fact-check
“COVID-19 vaccines do not make the virus more infectious.” The WHO Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA) said in response to the claim.
According to the WHO, vaccination is a key part of the solution to stop the spread of the virus and to stop new variants emerging as it spreads, along with existing public health measures like mask-wearing, hand cleaning and physical distancing.
COVID-19 vaccines provide protection against the disease by helping the body developing an immune response. Developing immunity through vaccination means there is a reduced risk of developing the illness and its consequences.
This immunity helps you fight the virus if exposed. Getting vaccinated may also protect people around you because if you are protected from getting infected and from disease, you are less likely to infect someone else, they added.
Verdict
Therefore, the claim that COVID-19 vaccines would cause the virus to be more infectious is FALSE.
Here is another fact-check of a claim by Geert Vanden Bossche, the independent consultant who previously worked in vaccine development. (Read more here)
