False: Thailand will ban Pfizer after booster vaccination caused Princess Bajrakitiyabha to fall into a coma.

Context

Posts on Facebook and Twitter claim that Thailand will ban the Pfizer vaccine after a booster jab caused Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati to enter a coma. The claims have thousands of views across different social posts. 

In Fact

There is no evidence that the princess' condition was caused by the Pfizer vaccine. Instead, officials said that the condition is a result of severe heart arrhythmia following a mycoplasma infection. Officials also told AP news that there are no plans to ban Pfizer within the country.

The princess has been in a coma due to an illness, and there is no evidence it was caused by any vaccination. As reported by the Bangkok Post on January 9, royal doctors believe the princess' unconscious state is due to severe heart arrhythmia caused by heart inflammation following a mycoplasma infection. Mycoplasma is a type of bacteria that targets specific parts of the body and can cause infections. The most common infection is mycoplasma pneumoniae. Public Health England explains that mycoplasma pneumoniae causes acute respiratory illness, which can range from mild illness to severe pneumonia. No evidence could be found to confirm what type of mycoplasma infection affected the princess.

The princess fell unconscious on December 14 while training her pet dogs and, as of publication, is still unconscious. Doctors are monitoring her condition closely. Additionally, medical experts from the Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins University told AP News in a fact check from February 7 that no association between COVID-19 vaccinations and mycoplasma infections has been found. 

No official or credible sources could be found that stated the princess' vaccination status or that she was recently vaccinated. There is no evidence she was recently vaccinated with Pfizer. While a few news stories have reported on people who entered comas after COVID-19 vaccinations, such side effects are incredibly rare, and there is no evidence comas are common after receiving the COVID-19 vaccines. Collectively, these news stories only report on a very small number of rare cases. 

On February 3, Thailand's Department of Disease Control wrote a response on Facebook addressing the claims alleging Pfizer would be banned. The response is written in Thai, but when translated through Google, it states that the claims are "Fake News," and the post requests the public not to share or send these claims on social media. Logically also contacted Thailand's National Vaccine Institute for comment but has not received a response.

Furthermore, there is no evidence that Thailand is considering a ban on Pfizer. In the same fact check, AP News reached out to an official at Thailand's National Vaccine Institute. The official told them there are no plans for the country to revisit its contract with Pifizer and no plans to stop or reconsider the vaccine's use. No information or evidence was found from any official source suggesting that Thailand wants to ban the Pfizer vaccine.

The claims about the princess come from Sucharit Bhakdi, a retired scientist and known spreader of COVID misinformation. For example, a 2021 fact check by Lead Stories reports Bhakdi claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic was fake, that vaccines are killing people, and that PCR tests lie. There was no evidence to support any of these claims, which were debunked. Social media claims link to an Interview with Bhakdi and state he spoke to official sources. However, in the interview, it's stated that he spoke with "activists" in Thailand. There is no evidence he spoke with any official sources, and his claims lack credibility. 

These claims have also been republished on conspiratorial news sites such as InfoWars, The European Union Times, and the website of conspiracy theorist David Icke. Each of these sites is known for pushing conspiratorial views and anti-vax information.

The Verdict

There is no evidence that the princess' coma was caused by COVID-19 vaccines, and official sources have rejected claims that Thailand is planning to ban Pfizer. Therefore, we have marked these claims 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.