THE KZN Department of Health has debunked rumours which indicate purported links between the Covid-19 vaccine and magnetic fields. This after video footage of individuals placing metal coins on the arms of those who were recently vaccinated went viral.
According to the department, the video is viewed as an apparent attempt to “prove” the purported presence of a ‘magnet’ in the newly-injected arm. However, several international medical scientists have rejected these claims as scientifically improbable and false.
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In a report shared by a WHO affiliated group, Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA), Covid-19 vaccines do not contain magnetic microchips.
The report further declares that these social media posts are an absolute hoax, which should be viewed with the contempt it deserves.
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In an article by Natalie Wade quoted in the same report, medical experts weigh in, saying these videos are nothing more than a conspiracy theory typical of disinformation about the novel coronavirus. Dr Stephen Schrantz, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Chicago Medicine, said, “Getting a Covid-19 vaccine cannot cause your arm to be magnetised. This is a hoax, plain and simple. There is absolutely no way that a vaccine can lead to the reaction shown in these videos posted to Instagram and/or YouTube. It is better explained by 2 sided tape on the metal disk being applied to the skin rather than a magnetic reaction.”
Asked about the claim, Dr Thomas Hope, vaccine researcher and professor of cell and developmental biology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine said, “This is impossible. There’s nothing there that a magnet can interact with, it’s protein and lipids, salts, water and chemicals that maintain the pH. That’s basically it, so this is not possible.”
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According to fact sheets provided by health authorities in the US and Canada, none of the available Covid-19 vaccinations (Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca) list any metal-based ingredients. You could not put enough metal or iron that is going to respond to that, in a needle and inject it into the skin.
Commenting about these reports, the KZN Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane, said, “We welcome this feedback. It is unfortunate that at a time when we are in a war against this deadly Covid-19 epidemic, there are people out there who invest so much time and effort in a misinformation campaign, which results in vaccine hesitancy. This is certainly not what we need, and we call upon South Africans to consume and take seriously only news and reports that are from trusted sources such as the WHO, as well as reputable and credible news sources.”
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
