Piers Morgan did not say he developed 'VAIDS.' It's not a real condition | Fact check
Joedy McCrearyThe claim: Piers Morgan said he developed ‘VAIDS’ after receiving COVID-19 vaccine
A Dec. 10 article from The People’s Voice claims a broadcaster in the United Kingdom developed an autoimmune disorder after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Vaccinated Piers Morgan Reveals He Has VAIDS – Blames Non-Vaxxed,” reads the headline of the article.
The first paragraph of the story states Morgan “has developed Vaccine Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (VAIDS) as a result of repeated mRNA shots and boosters.”
It was shared on Facebook more than 100 times in 10 days, according to the social media analytics tool CrowdTangle.
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Our rating: False
Morgan has made no such statement. Medical experts have said “VAIDS” is not a real condition. The website that published the article routinely spreads misinformation.
‘VAIDS is not a real entity’
Morgan, a former host of a CNN talk show and former judge on “America’s Got Talent,” said in a Dec. 5 post on X, formerly Twitter, that he tested positive for COVID-19 and would host his current show, “Piers Morgan Uncensored” that night from his home because he was experiencing symptoms.
But nowhere has Morgan said he developed a supposed condition called “VAIDS,” as the article claimed. He does not mention the term in any of his X posts.
Fact check: COVID-19 mRNA vaccines cannot cause the disease, don't have live virus
More significantly, Morgan could not have contracted “VAIDS” because the condition does not exist, according to Healthline and to medical experts who previously spoke to USA TODAY.
“VAIDS is not a real entity,” Dr. Matthew Laurens, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and researcher at the University of Maryland, said in an email.
No credible evidence exists linking the COVID-19 vaccines to any problems with immunodeficiency, USA TODAY reported in September. The authors of a study that examined the immune responses of vaccinated children have said their research is being misrepresented to falsely claim the vaccines are dangerous.
The claim that Morgan blames unvaccinated people for his condition distorts his Dec. 7 post on X. He expressed regret for not receiving the newest booster, stating, “That’ll teach me for listening to ill-informed anti-vaxx imbeciles on the internet…! (sic).”
The People's Voice, previously known as NewsPunch, routinely published fabricated stories – including those related to vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic that USA TODAY has previously debunked.
USA TODAY reached out to The People’s Voice but did not immediately receive a response.
Reuters and Check Your Fact also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
- Piers Morgan, Dec. 5, X post
- Piers Morgan, Dec. 7, X post
- X (Twitter), Dec. 21, Advanced search
- USA TODAY, Sept. 16, No, Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doesn't cause 'VAIDS.' That's not a real condition | Fact check
- Matthew Laurens, Sept. 14, Email exchange with USA TODAY
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Sept. 6, A statement regarding a recent COVID-19 vaccination publication
- Healthline, Aug. 10, No, Vaccine-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (VAIDS) Is Not a Real Condition
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