US Vice President Mike Pence Did Not Fake Getting COVID-19 Vaccine

Social media posts claim US Vice President Mike Pence faked receiving a COVID-19 vaccine using a syringe that had the needle covered by a cap. This is false; an image of Pence being vaccinated shows that the needle was exposed.

"Pence getting a Covid Death shot with the cap still on. These people are so transparent," says text in a December 19, 2020 Facebook post above a photo of the vice president being vaccinated.

A screenshot of a Facebook post taken on December 23, 2020

The same claim appears on Twitter here and here.

False or misleading claims about COVID-19 vaccines are spreading across the internet as the shots are administered around the world, raising fears and doubts about a key tool in the fight against a disease that has killed more than 1.7 million people.

Also Read: No, Nancy Pelosi Did Not Fake COVID-19 Vaccination

Pence received the vaccine on live television on December 18.

"We gather at the end of a historic week to affirm to the American people that hope is on the way. @SecondLady & I were honored to step forward and receive the Safe and Effective Coronavirus Vaccine and we hope it will be a source of confidence & comfort for the American people," he tweeted.

A screenshot of a tweet taken on December 23, 2020

An AFP photo makes clear that the needle was uncovered at the time the shot was administered.

US Vice President Mike Pence receives a COVID-19 vaccine in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC, December 18 (AFP / Saul Loeb)

Other inaccurate claims about COVID-19 vaccines that have been debunked by AFP Fact Check are available in English here.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by BOOM staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)