Fact check: False claim Thailand is banning Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine after princess' health issues
The claim: Thailand is banning Pfizer after Thai princess got booster and fell into coma
A Feb. 7 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows the blue and white Pfizer logo atop a screenshot of a news story.
“Thailand to BAN Pfizer After Thai Princess Falls Into a Coma Following Booster Jab,” reads the headline.
The post was liked more than 900 times. The claim was also shared widely on Facebook and Twitter.
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Our rating: False
Thai health officials said the claim is baseless, and a Pfizer spokesperson told USA TODAY the company continues to operate in Thailand. The princess' condition has been attributed to a heart issue caused by a bacterial infection, not the COVID-19 vaccine.
Princess' health condition tied to bacterial infection, not COVID vaccine
Thailand's Department of Disease Control said the claim that Pfizer was banned was false in a Feb. 2 Facebook post.
The Pfizer vaccine continues to be available and recommended for use in Thailand, Pfizer spokesperson Trupti Wagh told USA TODAY.
"With hundreds of millions of doses of the original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine administered globally, the benefit-risk profile of our vaccines remains positive for all authorized indications and age groups," Wagh said.
Fact check: No, Australian High Court hasn't banned COVID-19 vaccines for children
The claim that a Thai princess suffered a health issue because of the vaccine is also baseless.
Thai princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati passed out in December and remained unconscious in January, as reported by outlets including The Bangkok Post and Reuters. Royal doctors said the princess' condition was caused by a bacterial infection that led to severe heart arrhythmia.
The screenshot included in the Instagram post comes from David Icke's website. Icke is an English conspiracy theorist who was banned from 26 European countries in 2022 for two years amid concerns his presence at a demonstration in the Netherlands would prompt unrest in the region.
The terms and conditions page on Icke's website notes that it "exclude(s) liability for ... the accuracy, currency or validity of information and material."
USA TODAY reached out to Icke and social media users who shared the claim for comment. One user responded but did not provide evidence to support the claim.
The Associated Press and FactCheck.org also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
Trupti Wagh, Feb. 10, Email exchange with USA TODAY
The Bangkok Post, Feb. 7, FDA defends vaccine shelf-life extensions
Thailand Department of Disease Control, Feb. 2, Facebook post
Reuters, Jan. 8, Thai king's daughter remains unconscious weeks after collapsing
The Bangkok Post, Jan. 8, Princess remains unconscious, bacteria blamed for illness
FactCheck.org, Feb. 10, Thai Princess's Coma Due to Infection, Country Not Banning Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine
The Associated Press, Feb. 7, Thai official: No plans to void Pfizer COVID vaccine contract
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: False claim Thailand is banning Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine