WHO linked myocarditis in newborns to viral infection, not COVID-19 vaccine | Fact check

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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A pregnant person is shown.

The claim: The WHO admitted that fully vaccinated mothers are giving birth to babies with heart defects

A July 7 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) features a screenshot of a People's Voice article with a picture of a masked pregnant woman.

"WHO Admits That Fully Jabbed Moms Are Giving Birth to Babies With Severe Heart Defects," reads the article's headline.

The post garnered more than 1,000 likes in three days. Similar versions of the claim have been shared on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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Our rating: False

There was an increase in myocarditis cases, but the World Health Organization linked this to enterovirus infections, not COVID-19 vaccination. The organization's statement doesn't mention vaccines or COVID-19.

WHO statement doesn't mention COVID-19 vaccination

The People's Voice article references a May 16 WHO statement about an increase in severe myocarditis cases in newborns and infants in Wales.

The WHO links the increase in cases to enterovirus infections, however, and doesn't mention the COVID-19 vaccine at all.

The statement says between June 2022 and April 2023, 10 hospitalized newborns with positive enterovirus PCR tests were found to also have myocarditis.

Non-polio enteroviruses cause about 10 to 15 million infections and tens of thousands of hospitalizations each year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Though most people don't get sick or have only mild illnesses, infants and individuals with weakened immune systems can develop serious complications.

Myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle, is listed as one of several infections that can be caused by the enterovirus, according to the CDC.

Bhanu Bhatnagar, a spokesperson for the Europe division of the WHO, told USA TODAY the claim about the organization linking myocarditis to the vaccine is "entirely incorrect."

"(The) WHO hasn’t made this assessment of myocarditis in the U.K.," Bhatnagar said in an email.

Fact check: FDA still recommends COVID-19 vaccine, contrary to viral claim

Emma O'Brien, a spokesperson for the U.K. Health Security Agency, which reported the cases to the WHO, also told USA TODAY the claim is false.

"The WHO article mentions nothing on vaccines as you can see," O'Brien said in an email. "Enterovirus is already known in rare circumstances to cause myocarditis in very young babies. Large-scale studies worldwide have found no evidence of any increased risk of myocarditis in infants of mothers who were vaccinated against COVID-19 in pregnancy. The COVID-19 (vaccine) is the best way to protect yourself against serious illness."

The People's Voice, previously known as NewsPunch, has a lengthy history of publishing fabricated stories, many of which have been debunked by USA TODAY.

The WHO still recommends the COVID-19 vaccine.

USA TODAY reached out to the People's Voice and the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The claim has also been debunked by the Associated Press, Reuters and PolitiFact.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Article falsely claims WHO linked myocarditis to vaccine | Fact check