False claims are circulating on social media that the head of Pfizer’s research department revealed their COVID-19 vaccine cause sterilization in females due to its inclusion of a protein called syncytin-1. The protein syncytin-1 is important in the creation of a woman’s placenta. The actual Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine does not contain the protein, nor has the vaccine been associated with infertility. Claims around female sterilization from COVID-19 vaccines have persisted since vaccine trials first began.
Recommendation: Directly addressing this misinformation in a public forum may make matters worse in that it could “add fuel to the fire” by increasing the number of people exposed to it, and unintentionally lend it credibility. However, updating FAQs on websites and info sheets that address misinformation is recommended. Additionally, spokespeople should be aware of this misinformation and have a prepared response, if directly asked. Fact Checking Source(s):politifact.com