Fake social media posts and a voice note urging South Africans to use an unregistered activated charcoal product to prevent apparent Covid-19 vaccine deaths have been trashed by the National Department of Health, which has called them misleading and baseless.
It has warned people to ignore the posts and voice messages, saying they are not only misleading but also promote an “an unregistered over-the-counter product”, reports TimesLIVE.
“There are no reported deaths causally linked to Covid-19 vaccines, except for the three cases the department reported early last year. The public should ignore this erroneous social media content, which has potential to cause significant confusion, anger and anxiety, especially among those who lost their loved ones to Covid-19.
“There is no evidence to suggest the Covid-19 vaccine is claiming lives.”
The product recommended in the voice note is not registered with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, it said, adding that activated charcoal was mainly consumed after “alcohol binges and to treat ingestion of poison”.
Its regular use is not advisable.
“If a person is on medical treatment, activated charcoal may bind to the active ingredient and reduce the effectiveness of the medication. Abuse of activated charcoal may also interfere with absorption of nutrients in the diet.”
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