COVID-19

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10 Feb: False claims on Ursula von der Leyen’s vaccine remarks spread online

Social media posts and online articles claim European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for scrapping the Nuremberg Code and forcing people to receive a Covid-19 vaccination. But she made no mention of the Nuremberg Code when questioned about moves to require vaccination in some European countries, instead suggesting a “discussion” and “common approach” to implementing policies.

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10 Feb: Posts misrepresent WHO chief’s remarks on Covid vaccine inequity

Social media posts circulating in multiple languages claim World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned some countries were administering vaccine booster shots in order to “kill children”. The posts spread online in December as countries around the world saw record surges of Covid-19 cases, likely driven by the Omicron coronavirus variant. But a review of Tedros’ actual remarks found he was in fact discussing global vaccine inequity — not commenting on the safety of Covid-19 vaccine boosters. A representative for the WHO told AFP that Tedros stuttered when delivering his remarks.