Misleading Facts About TBE Vaccine Circulates Online, Fact-Checkers Find
A recent online campaign is spreading false claims about the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccine, falsely linking a pioneering Austrian virologist to unsubstantiated side effect allegations.The Swedish fact-checking association Kallkritikbyran investigated posts circulating on Facebook and found no evidence to support claims of disputes or adverse effects connected to Christian Kunz, a key figure in the progress of the TBE vaccine in the 1970s.
Kunz, described as a pioneer in virology in Austria, dedicated his career to combating infectious diseases. despite this, the posts falsely associate him with negative vaccine narratives. Kallkritikbyran’s research contradicts these claims, highlighting a pattern of misinformation surrounding vaccine safety. This comes as vaccination campaigns in Austria have demonstrably reduced TBE cases annually, according to the Swedish Agency for Health and Food Safety in Austria.
The fact-checkers found the claims originated in comments on Facebook posts from October 26, 2024, regarding the TBE vaccine. Kallkritikbyran has previously debunked false claims about other vaccines,including HPV (Gardasil) and broader anti-vaccine narratives.
Kallkritikbyran encourages readers to submit tips for further investigation at tips@kallkritikbyran.se.
