FACT CHECK: No, This Video Does Not Show A Mexican Priest Dying During Mass After Getting Vaccinated
A video shared on Twitter over 2,200 times purportedly shows a priest who was vaccinated against COVID-19 dying during a church service.
Priest who took Vaxx, dies in a heart attack during live streaming. pic.twitter.com/POGc6HRhWW
— 🧢מאק (@beingrealmac) November 23, 2021
Verdict: False
The priest did not die. He has participated in church services since the incident captured in the video.
Fact Check:
In the video, a Spanish-speaking priest stumbles a few times before people come to his aid as he seemingly collapses. Text accompanying the video alleges, “Priest who took Vaxx, dies in a heart attack during live streaming.” (RELATED: Does This Video Show A Vaccinated Man Collapsing While Talking To Prince Charles?)
The same footage was posted Sept. 3 on the YouTube channel of the Mexico-based outlet Anews Acapulco, where it reported a priest at the Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Reina de México in Acapulco, Mexico, had fainted during a mass. Anews Acapulco and another outlet, La Razon de Mexico, identified the priest who collapsed but lived as Ángel Cuevas. Check Your Fact was unable to locate video of the priest fainting on the church’s Facebook page.
However, the priest has appeared on-camera in live streams of religious services since Sept. 3. He explained during a Sept. 4 live streamed service that doctors recommended he take time off for his health and thanked parishioners for their well-wishes. He did not link his collapse to a COVID-19 vaccine during that Sept. 4 address. The priest can also be seen participating in services in live streams posted by the Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Reina de México in November, such as on Nov. 23.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization state on their respective websites that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.