The fake message claims, “Nobel Prize Winner Luc Montagnier has confirmed that there is no chance of survival for people who have received any form of the vaccine. In the shocking interview, the world’s top virologist stated blankly.”
Fake WhatsApp forwards has been at the vanguard in the age of misinformation. One such fake message claims Nobel Laureate Luc Montagnier said that there is no chance of survival for people who have received any of the Covid-19 vaccines. The message attributes multiples quotes to him and shares a link to an article by lifesitenews.com to back the claim. Additionally, a link to Montagnier’s Wikipedia page is also shared.
The fake message claims, “Nobel Prize Winner Luc Montagnier has confirmed that there is no chance of survival for people who have received any form of the vaccine. In the shocking interview, the world’s top virologist stated blankly.”
LifeSiteNews attributed its claim to an article published on the website of RAIR Foundation, a US-based NGO “to combat the threats from Islamic supremacists, radical leftists and their allies.” The article included a two-minute video, where the French virologist disparages the vaccine program for COVID-19.
While Luc Montagnier, did term the mass vaccination as an “enormous mistake”, he did not explicitly state that “vaccinated people will die in two years,” as claimed in the message.
“This (claim) is unbelievable. From what I know of him, Dr. Montagnier will never use such irresponsible language” said Dr. Ishwar Gilada, an infectious disease expert. Dr. Gilada further talked about incidents of vaccine hesitancy in the country, anti-vaxxers and the impending need for all eligible individuals to get vaccinated.
Also Read: ‘Bogus Fact-Checking Site Amplified By Dozens Of Indian Embassies On Social Media’: Report
The official Twitter handle of the Press Information Bureau’s fact check account has also clarified that this message is fake. “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,” PIB tweeted.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has said that COVID-19 vaccines in India are safe and has urged all citizens to get vaccinated. The government has said that the vaccines have been introduced in the country only after the regulatory bodies clear it based on its safety and efficacy.
India reported 1,86,364 cases and 3660 deaths in the last 24 hours and 29,19,699 jabs were administered in the last 24 hours, Union Health Ministry data showed.
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