QuickCheck: Does a conspiracy theory link Covid-19 vaccine to HIV?
IN THE digital age, misinformation spreads swiftly, often blurring the lines between fact and fiction.
Are conspiracy theorists falsely claiming that a link between Covid-19 vaccines and HIV infections?
Verdict:
TRUE
The claim that Covid-19 vaccines cause HIV infections is unfounded.
According to an investigation on MyCheck.my, this misinformation is part of a conspiracy theory that has already been debunked by health experts and international health organisations.
The Covid-19 vaccines do not contain HIV and have undergone rigorous safety tests before being distributed to the public.
HIV is typically transmitted through sharing needles among drug users, unprotected sexual contact with an HIV-positive individual, or from mother to child during pregnancy.
The misinformation spread widely on social media, where a post urged individuals allegedly infected with HIV by the vaccine to sue the Health Ministry.
MyCheck.my reports that this post received over 2,000 likes, 1,600 comments, and 1,000 shares.
However, MyCheck also found several similar posts perpetuating the same falsehood.
The confusion may stem from a misunderstanding of a vaccine study in Australia, which used a small fragment of the HIV protein as a molecular clamp to stabilise the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
This vaccine was never approved or distributed to the public because it caused false positives in HIV tests, even though participants were not infected with HIV.
Dr Mohd Rushdan Md Noor, a medical expert, explained, “The claim that the Covid-19 vaccine can spread HIV infection is false.
“This misinformation is linked to the Covid-19 vaccine V451 developed by the University of Queensland and CSL in Australia.
“The issue was that recipients of the V451 vaccine tested positive in HIV tests, but this was not due to HIV infection; it was a false positive result.”
Dr Rushdan further clarified the concept of false positives, stating, “Every test has false positives and false negatives.
“If a healthy person tests positive, it’s a false positive. If a sick person tests negative, it’s a false negative.
“There’s no link between the Covid-19 V451 vaccine and HIV infection.
“The vaccine was discontinued in 2020 to avoid confusion and public concern over the false positive results.”
MyCheck.my also highlights that similar claims have been circulating since 2022, with the Indonesian Communication and Digital Ministry and Reuters Fact Check debunking the same misinformation.
To reiterate, HIV infection can occur through sharing needles, unprotected sexual contact, and mother-to-child transmission, but not through Covid-19 vaccination.
The notion that Covid-19 vaccines causes HIV infection is entirely incorrect, as confirmed by scientific evidence and expert analysis.
References:
1. https://www.mycheck.my/more.php?id=2423512
3. https://infosihat.moh.gov.my/images/media_sihat/kchs/KCHS_1992/pdf/BK_aids%20pembunuh.pdf
4. https://jknselangor.moh.gov.my/images/AIDSnov/aidsArtikel/AIDS%20Dan%20Wanita%20(BM).pdf
