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Reports about the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) outbreak in China have brought conspiracy theories surrounding COVID-19 back on social media. An Instagram reel posted by @haybags73, for instance, claims that COVID-19 vaccines contain bits of the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. The video has garnered close to 10 lakh views on the social media platform, and over 22,000 likes, in less than 2 weeks' time.
The video shows two segments: one featuring commentary about a substance binding to the coronavirus surface, followed by a narration discussing vaccine spike protein structure and antibody responses.
The narration suggests that the spike protein stabilizer in the vaccine contains "HIV fragments."
Spike proteins are structures found on the surface of certain viruses, including the coronavirus. These spikes allow the virus to attach to and enter human cells. When the virus is inside the cell, it can start to replicate and cause illness. In the case of COVID-19, the spike protein is the target for vaccines, which teach our immune system how to recognize and fight the virus.
"The shape of the coronavirus spike protein before the virus meets our cells is what triggers the most protective antibody response,' the narrator in the video says. "So, Keith (referring to an Australian virologist, Professor Keith Chappell, who was working on a COVID vaccine earlier) must make the spike protein in the lab, locking it into exactly the same shape by adding another protein that acts a bit like a clamp, and that protein is a tiny fragment of HIV. This looks awfully complex, doesn't it? And if it does, that's good because every one of these red arrows shows HIV in the spike protein."
The video concludes with footage of Dr Richard M Fleming, a man who has been previously convicted of healthcare and mail fraud and has been known to push conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic, also discussing alleged HIV components within COVID spike proteins.
What are the facts?
First Check's investigation revealed that the video misleadingly combined unrelated content, to draw false conclusions. The opening segment came from a documentary about an unsuccessful vaccine candidate, while the latter portion promoted an unsubstantiated theory about COVID-19's origins as a bioweapon, unconnected to vaccine development.
Through reverse image analysis and the visible BBC watermark, First Check traced the initial footage back to a documentary chronicling the efforts of five global teams to develop COVID-19 vaccines, titled "Horizon Special: The Vaccine" and broadcast in June 2021. The specific person featured in the clip is Professor Keith Chappell, a molecular virologist and the architect of the COVID vaccine being then developed by Australia's University of Queensland. The vaccine was later discontinued after a trial returned false positive HIV results. The vaccine never progressed beyond initial Phase 1 trials and was never distributed publicly.
The reel's second section bears no relation to either the first segment's vaccine discussion or HIV presence in COVID vaccines.
A reverse image search and a simple search on YouTube, making use of the visual cues in the video, helped First Check ascertain that it was part of a presentation done in October 2021 by Dr Richard M Fleming, who identifies himself as a nuclear and preventive cardiologist. The talk was to promote his book, "Is COVID-19 a Bioweapon?: A Scientific and Forensic Investigation."
However, Dr Fleming has long been discredited as a serious scientist and was even banned by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from participating in any drug studies.
Based on this evidence, First Check determines that this viral video deceptively combines footage to falsely imply COVID vaccines contained HIV. The first segment references a discontinued vaccine that failed Phase 1 trials due to false positive HIV results, while the second promotes unrelated conspiracy claims about COVID-19's origins.
CLAIM: HIV is part of the composition of COVID-19 vaccines
FACT: False. An experimental vaccine developed by Professor Keith Chappell, a molecular virologist, in 2020 incorporated a small HIV protein segment but posed no risk of HIV transmission. The vaccine never progressed beyond initial Phase 1 trials and was never distributed publicly.
(This story was originally published by First Check, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective)
