With the ongoing Coronavirus lockdown in India, it seems like cyber criminals and pranksters have a lot of time on their hands. A message has been created on WhatsApp saying the Coronavirus vaccine has been discovered and will be available for everyone in a week’s time. Unfortunately, the fake message has gone viral and is being circulated widely on WhatsApp and Facebook as well.
The message says “Great news! Carona virus vaccine ready. Able to cure patient within 3 hours after injection. Hats off to US Scientists. Right now Trump announced that Roche Medical Company will launch the vaccine next Sunday, and millions of doses are ready from it.”
What has made gullible citizens believe the message is the fact that it is being circulated along with a picture of what seems to be COVID 19 test kits. Also, there is indeed a company by the name Roche, which is working on various solutions for the Coronavirus pandemic.
What’s the Truth About the Coronavirus Vaccine?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says on its website that while several organizations were working on developing a vaccine for the Coronavirus, there is as of now, still no vaccination available for the disease.
“The virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine. Researchers are trying to develop a vaccine against 2019-nCoV, and WHO is supporting their efforts,” says WHO on its website. Therefore, the best way to protect oneself against the disease is still social distancing and following hygienic practices such as frequently washing hands and covering one’s nose and mouth while sneezing.
The Coronavirus vaccine, if it should become available, will be announced through official platforms such as WHO, Ministry of Health and so on. Furthermore, people can always turn to PIB Fact Check to get the authenticity of such forwards verified. We would also like to add a word of caution that forwarding unverified and fake information on WhatsApp and other social media platforms could be liable for prosecution during the period of lockdown.