Fact check: False claim that Australian politician faked his booster shot

Nayeli Lomeli, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan faked his booster shot

On Dec. 28, 2021, Mark McGowan, premier of the state of Western Australia, shared an image on Twitter of the moment he received his COVID-19 booster.

"We know that a third dose is so important in providing protection against the new Omicron variant," he said in the tweet.

But then a screenshot of the tweet began circulating online, accompanied by text claiming the injection had been faked.

"They fake it while fooling people into the real deal," reads the caption of a Dec. 30 Facebook post.

The image features a close-up of the syringe that purportedly shows a cap covering the needle.

USA TODAY reached out to several users who shared the claim for comment.

"The official photos of Mark McGowan do show him receiving a 'shot' with the orange cap clearly blocking the needle," one user replied.

But that's not the case. Images and video footage show an uncovered needle going into McGowan's arm.

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Similar versions were shared on Facebook and Instagram. The image also circulated on Twitter where it accumulated hundreds of interactions.

McGowan received third dose

McGowan's media adviser directed USA TODAY to an image and comment McGowan shared on Facebook in response to the claim circulating online. The image shows the needle.

"Unfortunately a few people are wrongly suggesting the syringe still has a cap on and using this to develop random conspiracy theories," reads the caption of the Dec. 28 post. "Here is an another (sic) photo moments after I received my third dose."

Video footage published by a local news outlet shows when the nurse pushes down on the needle.

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Reuters noted that the orange item – which social media users claim is a cap – is likely a component known as the "hub" that connects the needle to a syringe.

A Reuters picture of a similar syringe from a vaccination clinic in Sydney shows that the needle isn't covered by the orange piece.

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Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that McGowan faked his booster shot. Images and video footage show an uncovered needle going into McGowan's arm.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: False claim Western Australia premier faked booster shot