Vaccine misinformation spawns ‘pure blood’ motion

Vaccine skeptics blocking transfusions for life-saving surgical procedures, Fb teams inciting violence towards docs and a world seek for unvaccinated donors—COVID-19 misinformation has bred a so-called “pure blood” motion.

The motion spins anti-vaccine narratives centered on unfounded claims that receiving blood from folks inoculated towards the coronavirus “contaminates” the physique.

Some have advocated for blood banks that draw from “pure” unvaccinated folks, whereas medics in North America say they’ve fielded requests from folks demanding transfusions from donors who haven’t acquired the jab.

In closed social media teams, vaccine skeptics—who model themselves as “pure bloods”—promote violence towards docs administering coronavirus jabs alongside false claims of mass deaths of vaccinated folks.

Taking the hysteria to the subsequent degree was the current high-profile case of a New Zealand couple, who sought to dam life-saving coronary heart surgical procedure of their toddler on the grounds that any blood transfused might have come from a vaccinated donor.

Their stance prompted a New Zealand court docket to take short-term custody of the child to permit the process, however the case grew to become a trigger celebre amongst vaccine skeptics around the globe.

“Instances like this unfold like wildfire on each fringe and mainstream information websites after which social media, offering consideration for anti-vaccine conspiracy theories,” Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist and assistant professor on the College of Illinois Chicago, advised AFP.

“There’s completely no science behind these conspiracies. In the event you give blood from a vaccinated donor to an unvaccinated individual, the individual receiving the transfusion doesn’t grow to be vaccinated.”

‘Worthwhile falsehoods’

George Della Pietra, a Swiss naturopath based Protected Blood Donation, a world mediation service that falsely labels mRNA coronavirus vaccines a “well being menace” and seeks to attach unvaccinated blood donors with recipients.

The Zurich-based nonprofit provides to acquire “contemporary or canned” unvaccinated blood for its patrons, in keeping with Protected Blood’s web site, which says it has a presence throughout western Europe, america, Canada, Australia, Asia and Africa.

AFP’s electronic mail to Pietra requesting remark elicited a reply from Protected Blood’s media director.

“There are a lot of scientists and docs who not solely have nice issues concerning the COVID vaccines, however are satisfied that in addition they enter the physique through the blood by the again door, so to talk, and stay there,” wrote Clinton Ohlers, the media director, quoting from the web site.

That instantly contradicts scientific assertions.

“Blood donations from people who’ve acquired a COVID-19 vaccine are secure for transfusion,” Jessa Merrill, from the American Pink Cross, advised AFP.

“Just like different vaccines… the COVID-19 vaccine is designed to generate an immune response to assist defend a person from sickness, however vaccine elements themselves will not be discovered throughout the bloodstream.”

Protected Blood’s members are required to pay an preliminary becoming a member of payment of fifty euros ($54), adopted by 20 euros every subsequent yr, in keeping with its web site.

“The ‘secure blood’ motion is completely primarily based one hundred pc in anti-vaccine misinformation,” mentioned Wallace.

“As with all anti-vaccine misinformation, interesting to folks’s fears is unfortunately worthwhile.”

Sperm and breast milk

The demand to stay “pure” reaches past blood to social media posts soliciting sperm from unvaccinated males—conspiracy theorists speculate on-line that the dear commodity would be the “subsequent Bitcoin”—in addition to breast milk from unvaccinated moms.

These requests seem to stem from perception within the debunked claims that COVID vaccines could cause infertility or alter the human DNA.

Demand for “unvaccinated” blood is unclear, however specialists say it could be a problem to obtain it in international locations with excessive vaccination charges.

The Meals and Drug Administration in america, the place greater than 80 p.c of the inhabitants has acquired no less than one COVID jab, says it doesn’t require blood collectors to check for vaccination standing.

Hospitals are additionally not capable of inform the standing of donated blood to sufferers.

“Is the US blood provide tainted?” screamed a headline from Kids’s Well being Protection, a nonprofit based by Robert Kennedy Jr, a recognized purveyor of vaccine misinformation.

It falsely asserted that the nation’s vaccination marketing campaign could have “contaminated the nation’s blood provide.”

An AFP reporter who infiltrated one of many closed “pure bloods” Fb teams discovered posts vilifying docs administering vaccines as “an arm of the state.”

Different posts contained a cartoon picture of a nurse holding a syringe and standing in a discipline stuffed with skulls, and one other of “victims” tumbling out of a vaccine bottle in crutches and wheelchairs.

One other submit contained a video of a shirtless muscular man headbutting and smashing a automobile window in what was claimed to be a public outburst towards vaccines.

© 2023 AFP