The Claim:
In an interview with known conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, a German doctor claims mpox is actually shingles, which is a side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Facts:
Mpox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, a type of Orthopoxvirus. Shingles, on the other hand, are caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox: the herpes zoster virus, a type of Varicellovirus. These viruses can be easily told apart from each other using lab tests.
While both conditions can cause rashes and blisters, how each disease presents is different enough that no one should mistake one for the other. Depending on the type, Mpox might show on the full body or specifically on the hands, feet, and torso. Shingles is the reactivation of the chickenpox virus along a nerve path, so it will only affect a specific region of the body served by that nerve group and usually only one side of the body.
Mpox outbreaks are mostly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) right now, where only 12.9% of the population received at least one COVID vaccine. If mpox were indeed a side effect of the COVID vaccine, you’d expect to see most of the cases in countries with the highest rates of COVID vaccination, like Portugal (96%), and Cuba (95%), and Vietnam (93%), but in reality, up to 96% of all mpox cases are in the DRC.
Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.
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