Myths and inanity attitude about the Covid vaccine are still the leading things that keep masses from pursuing the shot despite repeated state-run campaigns.
As the South Asian country failed to inoculate masses, self-created phony myths are among the leading factors that stemmed the halt amid continuous efforts. The misinformation not affected Pakistan alone but it can be found in parts of the world. In recent times, a message has been circulated on different social media sites besides WhatsApp chats citing French virologist Luc Montagnier who intimidated about the death of vaccinated people.
The screengrab of an English website along with an Urdu newspaper cutting has been doing rounds on social platforms. ‘All vaccinated people will die within two years that the Covid-19 vaccination drive is a conspiracy to lower the world population’, the sham articles read.
Alarming the people not to get the Covid jab, the articles quoted noble laureate and top virologist Luc Montagnier who revealed that the vaccinated persons have no chance of survival.
Meanwhile, the website mentioned for reference is a Canadian publication that was banned by social media giants for violating its rule as it spread absolutely false information on the deadly disease.
An edited clip attributed to Montagnier has also been circulated on social media in which he can be seen raising concerns over the idea of mass vaccination.
French Virologist & Nobel Prize Winner Luc Montagnier Says "Mass Vaccination's An Unacceptable Mistake,Vaccination's Creating New Variant's Of Virus".If You Look At The Graph Of Covid Case's & Deaths It All Blasted After Innoculation Of Vaccines.@Voice_For_India @mariawirth1 pic.twitter.com/MDWY1gZel2
— Incredibleभारत (@Incredibhaarat) May 20, 2021
‘It’s absurd to vaccinate during a pandemic. They’re silent. It is the antibodies produced by the virus that enable the infection to become stronger. It is what we call antibody-dependent enhancement, which means antibodies favor a certain infection. It is clear that the new variants are created by antibody-mediated selection due to the vaccination; he can be heard saying in an interview.
In the clip, Montagnier nowhere claimed that vaccinated people will die after a specific time. Neither he mentioned that there is no hope and no possible treatment for those who have been vaccinated already.
Following the outcry in different communities, a fact-checking resource has termed the publication as ‘a known purveyor of misleading information’. Press Information Bureau fact check handle also termed it fake and directed people to avoid sending misinformation.
An image allegedly quoting a French Nobel Laureate on #COVID19 vaccines is circulating on social media
The claim in the image is #FAKE. #COVID19 Vaccine is completely safe
Do not forward this image#PIBFactCheck pic.twitter.com/DMrxY8vdMN
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 25, 2021
Furthermore, mass vaccination has saved thousands of lives. England and United States are the two leading examples as vaccines have averted thousands of deaths in recent times. Another example is Israel in which has led one of the fastest vaccination campaigns besides low infection rates.
The event is not the first of its kind as the world has seen hundreds of fake and oversight stories to emerge revolving around the COVID-19 vaccine that has affected more than the availability of vaccine.
(Editor’s Note: The phrase ‘Fake News’ is not a scientific term. If facts of information are inaccurate it cannot be called news in the first place. It would be categorized as misinformation or disinformation. othernews.pk has opted to use this phrase as the mass searches and prefers the term ‘Fake News.’)
He is a Pakistani journalist, documentary producer and teaches journalism at various universities in Lahore. He is a silver medalist in MPhil Mass communication and has reported and edited for a number of English print media organizations in Pakistan.
