No evidence Covid-19 vaccines cause monkeypox

A post on Instagram claims that the current monkeypox outbreak is a side effect of the Covid-19 vaccines.

There is no evidence this is true.

What does the post say?

The post includes two pictures from the cartoon Scooby-Doo, showing the unmasking of an ape labelled “monkey pox” to reveal a syringe labelled “C-19 vaccine side effects”.

A caption by the author of the post reads: “#monkeypox #fakevirus #fearmongering #politicizing #falseflag #wakeup #truther.”

From this, the post seems to be implying that recently reported cases of monkeypox are actually cases of people experiencing Covid vaccine side effects. There is no evidence this is true.

What is monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a rare viral disease, which was first identified in monkeys kept for research in 1958, which is how it got its name. It can be transmitted between animals, between humans, and between animals and humans.

As of 26 May there have been 101 confirmed cases of monkeypox in England since the first were detected earlier this month, as well as three confirmed cases in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland. The disease is transmitted by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding. 

There have been several monkeypox outbreaks in humans in the past—both in some African countries where the disease is endemic, and in other countries that it has spread to—long before Covid-19 or the vaccines against it existed. 

The monkeypox virus is the cause of the disease. There is no evidence of a link between monkeypox and the Covid-19 vaccines.

A spokesperson for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency told Full Fact: “We undertake rigorous and continuous safety monitoring of all COVID-19 vaccines in use in the UK. 

“There is no evidence to date of a causal relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and monkeypox.”

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed to Full Fact that all monkeypox cases reported by the UK have been confirmed with a PCR test. 

You can read more about the many false and misleading claims about the Covid vaccines on our vaccines hub.