Social media users have been duped into thinking a British news channel ran a story about a woman developing a scarlet flush on her face after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
The alleged report was shared as a screenshot in mid-August, and mimics the layout of the ITV news website (here , here , here , here , here , here and here).
“Anti-vaxxers have nicknamed me ‘beetroot chops’ but doctors have assured me that it just shows the vaccine is working well and said my face will return to normal in 3-5 years,” reads the headline, which sits above a photo of a red-faced and smiling individual.
While some social media users interpreted the screenshot as satirical, others believed it was real.
One individual who shared the screenshot on Facebook said: “WE “Anti Vaxxers” have been telling you that you WILL turn into MUTANTS...SRY NOT SRY.” Another social media user added in the comments: “Is this real as I can’t find the link!?”
The article is not authentic, however, and does not appear on the ITV website.
An ITV spokesperson also confirmed to Reuters via email that the screenshot is fabricated: “We are aware of a fabricated article currently being circulated online as an ITV News website story. ITV News takes the provision of accurate high-quality news very seriously and as such we are investigating the source of this false story.”
The image associated with the fabricated story is also not from 2021. It was published in a blog by a the ‘Arts Together’ charity in 2013 (here).
Reuters has previously addressed fabricated news articles (here , here and here).
VERDICT
False. ITV did not publish a story about an individual suffering from a bright red face after taking a vaccine. The screenshot is fabricated.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.