A post shared on Facebook claims Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrision faked receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Verdict: False

Photos and videos show the needle was exposed when Morrison received his COVID-19 vaccine jab.

Fact Check: 

Australia started its mass COVID-19 vaccination program on Monday, according to the Associated Press. The country’s prime minister received his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday, BBC News reported.

Amid the first vaccines being administered in the country, Facebook users attempted to suggest that Morrison’s jab was faked. As evidence, some users attempted to point to an orange part visible in a photo that allegedly covered the needle during the injection.

Pictures taken during Morrison’s vaccination show the needle was not covered with a safety cap when he received his first dose. For example, an AFP photo shows the exposed needle entering his arm. Another picture, published in the Sydney Morning Herald, also shows the needle visible during the injection.

ABC News and 7News Australia also posted videos on their respective YouTube channels that capture the moment Morrison received the jab. In both videos, the needle can be seen as the health care worker inserts it into Morrison’s arm. (RELATED: Does This Photo Show Acting Secretary Chris Miller Receiving A COVID-19 Vaccine With A Needle-Less Syringe?)

The orange piece that’s visible in the photo is likely a needle hub. A needle hub attaches the needle to the syringe and does not cover the needle, according to the Pharmaceutics and Compounding Laboratory at the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy.

Check Your Fact has previously debunked false claims that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Vice President Mike Pence received COVID-19 vaccines with the caps still on the needles.