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Published 09:31 IST, May 26th 2021

Fact Check: French Nobel laureate's vaccination claim true? Centre issues clarification

The latest viral claim to circulate on WhatsApp is attributed to French virologist and Nobel laureate Luc Montagnier.

Reported by: Shloak Prabhu
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Image Credits: Twitter - @PIBFactCheck | Image: self
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Amid the COVID-19 crisis and the ongoing third phase of vaccination in the country, several instances of rumours and fake content have made rounds on social media. The latest one to circulate on WhatsApp is attributed to French virologist and Nobel laureate Luc Montagnier. As per the WhatsApp forward, Luc Montagnier had claimed that there is people who have received any form of vaccine will die within 2 years. 

In addition, the post goes on to claim that Montagnier stated that there is no treatment or hope for those who have been vaccinated against the Coronavirus. The fake claim quoting Montagnier also states that people who have been vaccinated will succumb due to 'antibody dependent enhancement'. Using yet another quote, the message also shows that the Nobel laureate claimed that the variants were created because of vaccination. 

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Centre debunks misinformation pertaining to vaccination

However, the Centre took to Twitter and stated that the claim in the WhatsApp forward is fake. It also reiterated that the COVID-19 vaccine is completely safe. Moreover, it also urged users to refrain from forwarding the fake WhatsApp message quoting French Nobel laureate Luc Montagnier. 

The real story behind this can be traced back to Montagnier's interview in May where he was asked about the ongoing vaccination programs against Coronavirus. However, Montagnier never claimed that people who were vaccinated will die within two years. Instead, the virologist revealed that he is conducting experiments on patients who were administered the COVID-19 vaccine. 

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09:31 IST, May 26th 2021