CLAIM: Thailand is canceling its COVID-19 vaccine contract with Pfizer after its princess fell into a coma following a booster shot.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. There are no plans to alter Thailand’s contract with the New York-based pharmaceutical giant, an official with the country’s National Vaccine Institute said. Thailand’s Department of Disease Control also rejected the claims as “fake news.” Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s condition was attributed to an irregular heartbeat caused by a mycoplasma infection, and medical experts confirmed the infection is not known to be a side effect of COVID vaccines.
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The former professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany, whose parents were originally from Thailand, claims in the roughly 45-minute interview that top Thai officials are considering nullifying the Pfizer contract after hearing out his concerns about the inoculations.
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“FAKE NEWS DO NOT SHARE!” Thailand’s Department of Disease Control wrote in Thai in a Feb. 3 Facebook post that includes a screenshot of Bhakdi’s interview, along with a version of the false claim. “The public is requested not to be fooled and ask for cooperation not to send, or share such information on various social media channels.”
An official with Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute, which is under the Ministry of Public Health, also confirmed to The Associated Press there are no plans to revisit the country’s contract with Pfizer -- or any other COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer already under agreement.