Online articles and social media posts cite a scientific paper to claim that pharmaceutical giant and Covid-19 vaccine manufacturer Moderna created the virus that causes the disease. But the lead author of the study said its findings do not implicate the company, and independent experts say the report itself lacks merit.
"Whilst you were distracted by the Battle for Ukraine, Documents were published confirming Moderna created the Covid-19 Virus," says the headline of a March 14, 2022 article on The Expose website, which has previously published inaccurate health information debunked by AFP.
"Evidence has emerged which proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the Covid-19 virus was created by the very pharmaceutical giant that has made billions through the sale of an experimental Covid-19 injection; Moderna," the story says, citing this study published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Virology.
The Expose published a similar article with the claim on March 3, 2022, and more examples of the claim appeared on Twitter and Facebook.
The claim circulated as Moderna said that it was pursuing regulatory approval of its Covid vaccine for children under the age of six, and on March 17 asked the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization of a second booster shot of the company's Covid-19 vaccine for adults.
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