AN ANNOUNCEMENT BY Piers Morgan in early December that he had contracted Covid-19 had been touted in fringe groups as proof that vaccines cause a condition similar to AIDS.

“Piers Morgan, who was fully vaccinated, admits he has VAIDS and blames un-vaccinated,” said one post from a paid-for account on X (formerly Twitter) which was subsequently re-shared by Irish Facebook users.

“Recurring mRNA doses and boosters have caused UK talk show personality Piers Morgan to get Vaccine Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (VAIDS),” the post continued.

“Morgan claims that as a result of the toxic injections, his immune system is significantly compromised and that he has tested positive for Covid-19.”

However, this tweet and many of the claims in it are false. VAIDS is not a legitimate medical condition.

Morgan is a British journalist and broadcaster who presents a show on News Corp’s talkTV, Piers Morgan Uncensored. 

He did write on X that he had gotten sick, but did not mention a condition called VAIDS or say that it was caused by a vaccine.

“I’ve tested positive for Covid, and feel as rough as a badger’s a*se,” he wrote on 5 December, “but in the spirit of ‘The Show Must Go On’, I’m going to have a go at anchoring tonight’s @PiersUncensored live from my home.”

At no point did Morgan suggest he has an ongoing immune system disorder, nor does there seem to be any obvious reason to blame his illness on vaccines.

“I had one booster, two years ago,” Morgan said in response to one user.

The disorder that Morgan was accused of having, VAIDS, is not a real disease. Anti-vaccine activists have claimed, falsely, that vaccinations, particularly against Covid-19, destroy the immune system, leading to an AIDS-like disease.

There is no evidence that this is true, and public health advice continues to recommend vaccines as a safe and effective form of protection against Covid-19.

The HSE also recommends seasonal booster shots for some people at higher risk of Covid-19 illness to maintain high levels of antibodies against the disease.

These include people aged 50 or older, people with weak immune system, people with certain long-term conditions, and healthcare workers.

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