A claim suggesting that World Health Organization Chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus admitted to Covid-19 vaccines being used by countries to kill children is found to be misinterpreted. A video backing the claim is also circulating on social media.
The Covid 19 vaccine has remained embroiled in baseless conspiracy theories ever since they were rolled out in January this year. Earlier, a hoax claiming that vaccine will alter the human DNA of those taking the jab had also gone viral.
What Did WHO Chief Say in Context of Vaccines?
The video clip shows Tedros speaking at a WHO press briefing held on December 20. "So if (a COVID-19 booster) is going to be used, it's better to focus on those groups who have risk of severe disease and death, rather than, as we see, some countries are using to give boosters to cil—children, which is not right," he says in the viral clip. However, the stutter before children makes it sound like 'kill children'. Several conspiracy theorists claim that Tedros said, "The vaccines are being used to kill children."
"This tweet will most likely be censored and you probably won't find the video. BUT W.H.O. Head Director-General Dr. Tedros Admits Vaccines Being Used To Kill Children So how are the vaccines safe?" tweeted a user.
"Oops.. what did Dr. Tedros just say? Footage has emerged of Dr Tedros, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, claiming countries are intentionally giving booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccine to children to kill them. Tedros was speaking at the hybrid press," wrote another user.
"Tedros playing Jekyll & Hyde! "Says some countries giving boosters to kill children"! They are playing psychological mind games. They are mandating vaccines and in the same breath telling the recipients that it kills!" expressed a user.
Here is the Truth
Debunking the claims being made on the basis of viral clip, a WHO spokesperson, in a communique to Reuters said that the sentence was the result of a slip of the tongue."
Claiming that Tedros "got stuck on the first syllable [of children] 'chil' and it came out sounding like 'cil/kil,' the spokesperson said that the WHO chief then correctly pronounced the same syllable immediately after, with it coming out audibly as 'cil-children'. "Any other interpretation of this is 100% incorrect," the spokesperson added.
As per the original transcript of the news conference Tedros said, " So, if it's going to be used [vaccines], it's better to focus on those groups who have the risk of severe disease and death, rather than, as we see, some countries are using to give boosters to children, which is not right. Then the equity issues comes in here. Instead of boosting a child in high income countries, it's better to vaccinate the elderly in countries where the elders have not been vaccinated, even the primary vaccines."
