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.