No, this is not Pfizer’s patent to use COVID-19 vaccines to ‘track’ people

Context

Recent posts circulating on Twitter include a screenshot of a U.S. patent alongside claims that it was granted to Pfizer in 2021 to track vaccinated individuals through "COVID-19 shots that contain graphene oxide." Text superimposed on the image reads, "This Pfizer patent application was approved August 31st, 2021, and is the very first patent that shows up in a list of over 18500 for the purpose of remote contact tracing of all vaccinated humans worldwide who will be or are now connected to the 'internet of things' by a quantum link of pulsating microwave frequencies of 2.4gHz or higher from cell towers and satellites directly to the graphene oxide held in fatty tissues of all persons who've had the death shot (sic)."

The screenshot has been circulating since 2021 and has been repeatedly shared with similar narratives. However, the post contains multiple false claims. Primarily, Pfizer does not own the patent.

In Fact

Claims that COVID-19 vaccines contain graphene oxide or microchips are false and have been repeatedly debunked by Logically Facts and other fact-check organizations. You can read them here and here.

The patent in the post includes a screenshot of the first page of a U.S. patent numbered "US 11,107,588 B2." We found that it was registered by an Israel-based company called Ehrlich and Fenster and was used for contact tracing during health emergencies such as COVID-19. The patent relates to connecting people to the internet through electronic devices and not through COVID-19 vaccines. 

The patent's abstract notes that the contact tracing process "comprises a plurality of electronic devices." Under the section "Summary of the Invention," example 19 notes that electronic devices are "to be carried around by said subjects." This means that they are external devices, such as mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, pagers, and so on, and not something individuals are injected with.  

The patent notes that these electronic devices will be used to generate an ID, and when in the proximity of another such electronic device, they transmit and receive the ID to and from the other electronic device. A basic read of the patent shows that this mechanism would help people know if they were near someone infected. Afterward, relevant treatment instructions are displayed or suggested to individuals based on the information received. The patent adds that the system would help prioritize vaccination, treatments, and testing in pandemic situations and protect individuals' privacy. 

The patent does not mention connecting or tracking people through "implanted graphene oxide in the COVID-19 vaccines," as claimed in the viral posts. Subsequently, the U.S. digital contact tracing method also notes available GPS and Bluetooth technology as one of its tools and not "vaccine implants."

Logically Facts has also debunked multiple false narratives about COVID-19 vaccines being used to "track" people or for "surveillance." You can read them here.  

The Verdict

The patent in the viral post is not registered by Pfizer and does not talk about tracking people who have been vaccinated. It talks about contact tracing using external electronic devices. Therefore, we have marked the claim as false.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.