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| - Last Updated on September 4, 2024 by Nivedita
Quick Take
A science website published research reporting a new highly virulent VB variant of HIV circulating in the Netherlands. After the research article got published, several social media users claimed that the VB variant is virulent because of the Covid-19 vaccines. We fact-checked and found the claim to be False.
The Claim
A news website named DailyMail published an article titled, “New HIV super-strain is found in the Netherlands: Highly infectious variant makes people ill twice as quickly and has been spotted in at least 109 people”. The article is based on a research article titled, “A highly virulent variant of HIV-1 circulating in the Netherlands” published on a website named Science.org.
Referring to the DailyMail article, a Twitter user wrote, “A serious outbreak of HIV cases found in the Netherlands. Source – Daily Mail. Any connection with the Covid jabs, I wonder? This has Fauci written all over it”.
After the research got published in Science.org, a Twitter user wrote, “What will you do when it is found that HIV is in the vaccine via Spike protein? New HIV strain found in the Netherlands: Highly infectious variant makes people ill twice as quick. There are no coincidences!”.
Fact Check
Is a new variant of HIV in the Netherlands due to Covid-19 vaccines?
No. Covid-19 vaccines are not responsible for the VB variant of HIV in the Netherlands. Moreover, no studies suggest that Covid-19 vaccines can cause viral infections.
The baseless claim of ‘Covid-19 vaccine causing HIV’ became prevalent after a research article observed, “highly virulent variant of subtype-B HIV-1 based on 109 infected individuals with VB variant”. People misinterpreted and skewed the research to spread misinformation on social media.
The research has clearly shown that the VB variant has been active since the 1990s. Hence, its existence cannot be associated with Covid-19 vaccines. The Healthy Indian Project (THIP) has discussed the role of HIV protease inhibitors in Pfizer Covid pills in detail here.
A false social media post claims that COVID-19 vaccines will result into people having Cancer and HIV.
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