Social media posts are spreading false information about flu shot. Namely, people who have received flu shots in the last 10 years will test positive for COVID-19.
Experts say the novel coronavirus that causes the disease is unrelated to the flu. Therefore, that data on approved COVID-19 tests does not support the claim.
Dr Rashid Buttar said that if you got a flu shot in the past 10 years, you will test positive for COVID-19.
The claim has been circulating the social media since April.
Dr John Sanders, chief of infectious diseases at Wake Forest Baptist Health denied those claims.
Moreover, both the molecular tests and the serologic tests are validating due to research. They have demonstrated no cross-reactivity with antibodies generated from previous flu shots.
Dr. Jacco Boon agreed that the claim is false and added that the coronavirus is not related to the influenza virus.
North Carolina Medical Board reprimanded Dr Rashid Buttar multiple times. Additionally, he received a warning letter from the US Food and Drug Administration for peddling unapproved, misbranded and adulterated drugs.
Among Buttar’s disputed treatments was intravenous administration of hydrogen peroxide for cancer patients, who later died.
Moreover, he charged exorbitant fees for his ineffectual therapies.
In multiple videos he stated that studies clearly show that if you have had a flu shot, you are going to test positive for COVID-19.
In another clip, Buttar cites two studies as evidence for the claim. The first is a study on cats. Which took place years before the coronavirus actually appeared.
Testing technology has improved significantly since the study was conducted. Furthermore, the false positives were the result of vaccine contamination from the cell culture itself, not interaction between viruses.
The second study found an “increased risk of virologically-confirmed non-influenza infections” for recipients of trivalent flu shots – vaccines that contain three types of influenza virus.
He said that the majority of the non-influenza respiratory virus detections were rhinoviruses and coxsackie/echoviruses, not coronaviruses.
In the that light, every normal citizen will not fear of being positive for COVID-19 test.