A photo shared on Facebook allegedly shows a CNN headline reporting that Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s doctor confirmed that his cardiac arrest was caused by a COVID-19 booster shot. 

Verdict: False

This photo is digitally fabricated. A CNN spokesperson confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact that no such article was published by the outlet.

Fact Check: 

Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals Jan. 2, requiring CPR and hospitalization, according to ESPN. Since being discharged from the hospital, Hamlin has spent time at his team’s facility “almost daily,” and is reportedly making progress, ABC News reported.

A Facebook image claims to show a CNN article reporting that Hamlin’s cardiac arrest was caused by the fourth COVID-19 booster shot. The alleged article features a CNN logo and claims to have been published Jan. 9. “Doctor of Damar Hamlin confirms Cardiac Arrest was due to the 4th Booster Vaccine,” the purported headline reads.

This photo is fabricated, however. The alleged article cannot be found on CNN’s website or on any of its verified social media accounts. Likewise, there are no credible news reports suggesting that Hamlin’s cardiac arrest was caused by a COVID-19 booster shot. 

“CNN did not report the headline in the Facebook post you sent,” a CNN spokesperson confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact. (RELATED: Did Fox News Publish This Graphic Showing An FBI Statement About NFL Players Collapsing?)

The spokesperson directed Check Your Fact to the genuine article from CNN. As stated in the article, no cause for the cardiac arrest has been shared with the public.

This is not the first time misinformation has spread online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim graffiti in New York depicted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a locust.