“A European study has found COVID vaccines could be causing ‘long-term brain damage.’”
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Study on possible COVID-19 brain effects looked at virus, not vaccines
If Your Time is short
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A recent study by German researchers did not find that COVID-19 vaccines could cause long-term brain damage, its author told The Associated Press.
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The study examined the possible effects on the brain from the coronavirus itself.
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The claim originated on a site known for spreading misinformation.
A TikTok video shared a since-deleted tweet claiming that "a European study has found COVID-19 vaccines could be causing ‘long-term brain damage.’"
But the study examined the possible effects on the brain of COVID-19 infection — not effects of COVID-19 vaccines.
The video included a screenshot of a tweet from Leading Report, which describes itself as a source for breaking news. After reading aloud the tweet, the video’s narrator said, "We knew that."
The tweet’s wording was very similar to a headline from The People’s Voice, a site known for spreading misinformation.
The People’s Voice article, in turn, summarized an article by Natural News, which has spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and was banned from Facebook in 2020.
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The Natural News article falsely reported on a study published in April by German researchers. The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, examined the coronavirus’s effect on human brains — not vaccines developed to fight the virus. The study found that the presence in the brain of the virus’ spike protein suggests that it "may contribute to long-term neurological symptoms."
One of the study’s co-authors, Dr. Ali Ertürk, told The Associated Press: "We have done zero experiments using vaccine, and we have shown and claim zero side effects of the vaccine."
Featured Fact-check
We rate the claim that "a European study has found COVID vaccines could be causing ‘long-term brain damage’" False.
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Our Sources
TikTok, post (archived), May 14, 2023
PolitiFact, "Health misinformation website rebrands as pro-Trump outlet to get around ban from Facebook," June 5, 2020
Associated Press, "German study looked into COVID’s impact on the brain, not vaccine effects," May 16, 2023
The People’s Voice, "European study concludes COVID jabs cause ‘long-term brain damage,’" May 9, 2023
Natural News, "Shock study: Covid jab spike proteins persist in brain tissue, potentially causing long-term brain damage," May 9, 2023
Health Feedback, "Reviews of articles from: Natural News," accessed May 16, 2023
BioRxiv, "SARS-CoV-2 spike protein accumulation in the skull-meninges-brain axis: Potential implications for long-term neurological complications in post-COVID-19," April 5, 2023
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Study on possible COVID-19 brain effects looked at virus, not vaccines
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