Fact Check: Cattle vaccine not related to COVID 19, Misleading post getting viral
The viral post claims that the world has been using coronavirus vaccine on cattle for years and the current panic on novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been overblown by media. When we investigated, we found that the vaccine being referred is for cattle, it is neither related with humans, not with COVID-19. The viral post is misleading.
- By: Urvashi Kapoor
- Published: Apr 3, 2020 at 05:44 PM
- Updated: Apr 24, 2020 at 07:46 PM
A viral post on social media claims that the world has been using coronavirus vaccine on cattle for years and the current panic on novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been overblown by media. Along with the post, the picture of a vaccine has also been posted. Vishvas News investigated and found that the viral post is misleading.
Claim
The post shared on Facebook by a user named Hammad Chaudry reads:
“Just in case you are wondering how much the media controls people, America has been vaccinating cattle for coronavirus for years, yet the news tells you it’s new and gunna kill you all so go buy mask….” The post also shows a picture of vaccine named
Scourguard-4K Vaccine. The archived version of the post can be checked here.
Investigation
Vishvas News started its investigation by breaking down various elements of the viral claim.
The viral post claims that media controls people and the news tells that coronavirus is new, go buy the mask.
Vishvas News investigated and found that Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments.
COVID-19 was unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
The 2019 novel coronavirus is a new strain in the coronavirus family. As per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Human coronaviruses were first identified in the mid-1960s. The seven coronaviruses that can infect people are:
229E (alpha coronavirus)
NL63 (alpha coronavirus)
OC43 (beta coronavirus)
HKU1 (beta coronavirus)
MERS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS)
SARS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS)
2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
The post is accompanied by a picture of a vaccine named Scourguard-4K. When we investigated we found that the manufacturer of the vaccine is Zoetis.
On the website of Zoetis, we found the description of the vaccine. “ScourGuard 4K is for vaccination of healthy, pregnant cows and heifers as an aid in preventing diarrhea in their calves caused by bovine rotavirus (serotypes G6 and G10), bovine coronavirus, and enterotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli having the K99 pili adherence factor.”
In the precautions of the vaccine, it has been mentioned that ‘this product has been shown to be efficacious in healthy animals.’ There is no mention of the use of this medicine in humans.
Vishvas News spoke to Dr. Nikhil Modi, a Pulmonologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital. He said, “The coronavirus used in the Bovine Rotavirus-Coronavirus Vaccine is distinct from the current coronavirus. This is not a cure for COVID-19. Bovine means affecting cattle. This medicine is not meant for humans.”
We scanned the profile of the user who shared the viral post. The user named Hammad Chaudry hails out of Lahore, Pakistan as his post suggests.
Disclaimer: The #CoronavirusFacts database records fact-checks published since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic and its consequences are constantly evolving and data that was accurate weeks or even days ago might have changed. Remember to check the date when the fact-check you are reading was published before sharing it.
Conclusion: The viral post claims that the world has been using coronavirus vaccine on cattle for years and the current panic on novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been overblown by media. When we investigated, we found that the vaccine being referred is for cattle, it is neither related with humans, not with COVID-19. The viral post is misleading.
- Claim Review : cattle vaccine is related to COVID-19, the current panic overblown by media
- Claimed By : FB User: Hammad Chaudry
- Fact Check : Misleading
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