No, Japan didn’t name COVID-19 vaccine ‘most deadly drug in history’ | Fact check

The claim: Japan declared COVID-19 vaccine is ‘the most deadly drug in history’

A Nov. 8 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) claims another country issued a dire warning about the COVID-19 vaccines.

“Japan Officially Names Covid mRNA Vaccine ‘Most Deadly Drug in History of Humankind,’” the post begins.

It continues, “In a stunning declaration, Japanese scientists have labeled COVID-19 vaccines the most deadly drug in the history of medicine, asserting that the individuals responsible for this global health crisis must be prosecuted.”

The post was shared more than 1,000 times in four days.

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Our rating: False

Japan’s health ministry has not released any statement about the COVID-19 vaccines being a deadly drug, and there are no credible news reports of anything similar to the claim. This claim originated from a website that routinely shares misinformation.

No evidence Japan called COVID-19 vaccines ‘most deadly drug’

The claim originated with an article posted Nov. 7 by The People’s Voice, which has repeatedly published fabricated stories about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare hasn’t mentioned anything similar to the claim in any of its statements, and no credible news reports mention anything like it.

Japan approved its first COVID-19 vaccine – the version developed by Pfizer – in February 2021, The Associated Press reported. More than 436 million doses had been administered in the country as of April, and nearly 80% of people had received at least two doses, according to the Japanese prime minister’s office.

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The country’s health ministry says on its website that the “efficacy and safety” of the COVID-19 vaccine has been confirmed.

“Furthermore, studies conducted both in Japan and overseas have shown that it is effective in preventing the worsening of symptoms, such as hospitalization and death, when infected with COVID-19,” the website says, according to Google Translate.

In early October, The Japan Times reported that the country had started a routine COVID-19 vaccination program expected to continue until the end of March. A month earlier, Japan became the first country to approve a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine, though doing so has led to a resurgence of vaccine-related fears among its population.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources

• Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, accessed Nov. 11, What's New 2024

• Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, accessed Nov. 11, Regarding the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines

• Prime Minister's Office of Japan, accessed Nov. 11, COVID-19 Vaccines

• The Japan Times, Oct. 7, Experts move to allay replicon COVID shot fears in Japan amid backlash

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim Japan named COVID-19 shot ‘most deadly drug’ | Fact check