Original article (in Serbian) was published on 20/9/2024; Author: Milica Ljubičić
Even three years after COVID vaccines became available, disinformation about them continues to spread. While health institutions in Serbia are urging citizens to donate blood and save lives, the web portal Nulta tacka warns that the blood of those vaccinated against COVID is “toxic”. Nulta tacka bases this claim on a six-month-old study that has not been peer-reviewed and has already been debunked by fact-checkers. Additionally, several health institutions clearly point out the opposite — that individuals vaccinated against COVID can be voluntary blood donors and cannot harm those who receive their blood.
The web portal Nulta tacka, known for promoting anti-vaccine views, claims that “scientists are advising hospitals to ban vaccinated individuals from donating blood” because “their blood is toxic”.
“Japanese scientists have published a preprint study detailing the risks associated with using blood from people vaccinated against COVID for transfusions and are calling on medical professionals to immediately ban vaccinated individuals from donating blood”, Nulta tacka stated in an article published on September 17.
Similar claims have circulated on social media in previous years, alleging that the blood of vaccinated individuals is contaminated and affects DNA.
This time, Nulta tacka cited the controversial website Expose-news, which “warned” about the use of “genetic vaccines” and the possibility of vaccinated individuals donating blood to the unvaccinated.
Expose-news based its concerns on a publication released in mid-March this year.
The paper, titled “Concerns regarding transfusion of blood products derived from recipients of genetic vaccines and proposals for specific measures”, was published on March 15, 2024, on Preprints.org.
A British website prone to spreading disinformation
Expose-news is a British website known for spreading disinformation and conspiracy theories, particularly regarding COVID vaccines. For example, the site previously falsely claimed that vaccinated individuals would completely lose their immunity and that the COVID vaccine causes cancer.
In the “About Us” section, the website claims to be an “alternative to fake mainstream media”, which “simply refuses to publish the real truth”. In mid-2021, the web portal Logically revealed that the website is run by a little-known Jonathan Allen-Walker from Lincolnshire. The website was launched in November 2020, and its articles quickly became popular on other alternative anti-vaccine channels.
Its authors expressed “concern” that people vaccinated against COVID could donate blood or organs to the unvaccinated. In the conclusion of the paper, they called for an end to the “genetic vaccine campaign” and a swift assessment of their risks and benefits.
They consistently refer to COVID vaccines as “genetic vaccines”, without providing any evidence to support this. Alongside the COVID vaccination campaign, there has been disinformation that mRNA vaccines are a type of gene therapy and alter human genetic material, which has been debunked multiple times.
Moreover, this paper, published six months ago, still hasn’t been peer-reviewed, meaning it hasn’t been examined by the scientific community or published in a scientific or medical journal.
After its publication in March 2024, the paper fueled claims that Japan had supposedly banned vaccinated individuals from donating blood. This was also untrue.
The fact-checking web portal of the AFP news agency pointed out that this paper was published on a website that allowed it without any preliminary review.
“The paper was published the day after it was submitted to the website, which is too short a period for a thorough review process”, AFP reported, also noting that one of the paper’s authors, Professor Masanori Fukushima, is known for opposing vaccination. Among the authors is also Japanese cardiologist Kenji Yamamoto, who previously falsely claimed that the COVID vaccine weakens the immune system.
Additionally, Japanese doctor Sharon Hanley told the fact-checking web portal AAP that the authors of this paper are not qualified to assess vaccine safety.
The website of the Japanese Red Cross clearly states that vaccinated individuals meet the criteria to be voluntary blood donors. The Red Cross advises those who received an mRNA vaccine to wait 48 hours after vaccination before donating blood.
The American Red Cross also states that the blood of vaccinated individuals is safe for transfusion. “The COVID vaccine is designed to generate an immune response that helps protect the individual from illness, and the components of the vaccine are not transferred through blood transfusion, nor do they affect the recipient’s DNA”.
The Serbian Blood Transfusion Institute does not differentiate donors based on whether they have received the COVID vaccine. Other criteria, such as the donor’s general health and whether they suffer from certain diseases, are considered. According to the recommendations of the Red Cross of Serbia, individuals who have received the COVID vaccine can donate blood but must provide documentation with details about the vaccination.
