Amy Schumer developed VAIDS as a direct result of getting multiple COVID jabs.

Question

Amy Schumer developed Vaccine Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (VAIDS) as a direct result of getting multiple COVID jabs.

Comments

This claim is inaccurate. My sources vividly state that Amy Schumer has Endometriosis and not a vaccine related ailment. The source provided by the author of this claim is not a reliable source as it has a right-leaning bias. Another source shows the clear distinction between VAIDS and Endometriosis, including Amy herself saying it is what she has.

https://www.factcheck.org/2024/02/scicheck-amy-schumer-has-endometriosis-not-a-vaccine-related-ailment/
https://www.techarp.com/showbiz/amy-schumer-vaids-covid-booster/

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Good job checking the validity of the original source! I think there is more you could dive into, though; is there a primary source that you can check, such as anything Schumer herself has said? Is there any information about why a claim like this might be spread or about "VAIDS" that could add to this?

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This is a really good fact-check. The source clearly has alternative motives for posting such information so your fact-check is needed to stop the spread of propaganda.

Answer 1

This claim is false. The source linked, The People's Voice, openly claims to be a conservative news site that covers the stories "mainstream outlets shy away from." This language can be taken to imply that the source is not reliable and that it may rely on conspiracy theories or unproven information. The source was formerly known as NewsPunch and Your News Wire, which Media Bias/Fact Check labelled extreme in both political stance and unreliability. In 2017, Buzzfeed reported that stories from this source mad up 9 of the top 50 fake news stories on Facebook that year. In the 2018 report of the same topic, it is noted that the site will retract headlines when they are noticed as being false; this may related to the source's frequently changing name as being an attempt to avoid recognition. 

As for the particular story, multiple sources such as Factcheck.org and The Atlanta Voice have clarified that Amy Schumer has endometriosis, not a vaccine-related syndrome. CNN confirmed that she announced having endometriosis, and linked this Instagram post in the article. As Amy Schumer herself has discussed having an autoimmune disorder because of endometriosis and because I could find no sources that reported her even mentioning VAIDS, I am inclined to believe this is wholly made up.

However, I think one of the most important pieces of information comes from an AP News fact check. In September, the reputable news source reported that Pfizer's vaccine does not cause "VAIDS" and that experts say it is not a real condition. This followed research and expanded upon a 2021 fact check that found the same information. Vaccines have not been found to cause any kind of autoimmune deficiency that has been reported on by a reputable source, Amy Schumer has not claimed to have "VAIDS," and the site that reported on this story is notorious for creating and spreading disinformation. This claim is false.

Comments

This fact check was very well written. I appreciate your inclusion of multiple sources to debunk this claim, as I know misinformation surrounding COVID-19 has been prevalent for the past 4 years.

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This is a good fact check. The site has an agenda to spread disinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine and uses people who are sick to say it is from the COVID-19 vaccine. The fact checker did a good job discrediting the site and showing proof from Amy Schumer's statements on what she is really suffering from, which is endometriosis.

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I really enjoyed reading your fact-check! You did a great job of looking into the source itself. I can agree The People's Voice doesn't seem to be too impartial and is biased toward conservative beliefs and agendas. I appreciate you looking into VAIDS too, and explaining how researchers believe it is not a real condition. This is a prime example of the spread of disinformation online.

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This is an amazing fact-check. I enjoyed how you incorporated your sources into the fact-check itself. At first, I was puzzled that there were no sources listed at the bottom, but upon further investigation, they blended in seamlessly into the fact-check. I thought it was smart to debunk the actual publication of the claim. Very well done.

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This is a very good fact check. Upon looking further into the source, it has a right-leaning bias. They post all sorts of fabricated stories to get their political agenda across.

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Great job on this fact check. It is very straight to the point and easy to understand. You go above and beyond in your research and it is obvious to me that this claim is false.

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Thanks for the background information. This a very thorough fact-check. Nice work.

Answer 2

The claim that Amy Schumer developed "Vaccine Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (VAIDS)" is clearly false. To start VAIDS has not been proven to be related to COVID vaccines at all (source below). The term is even disputed among professionals. In addition, Amy has stated that she has endometriosis and is nothing related to over-vaccinating. The source this claim comes from is not a reliable source and appears to have political ambitions behind its reporting. It claims to be reporting on "headlines mainstream companies shy away from" and tends to be reporting on issues supporting right-leaning beliefs. 

https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-australia-study-vaccine-immunodeficiency-vaids-188567674141

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL1N2UM1C7/

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3tNHt-uQbj/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/02/25/cushings-syndrome-amy-schumer/

Comments

Hi there, I appreciate your fact-check! I think you did a great job addressing how this is a false claim that has no scientific backing behind it. However, one thing that I think would make your claim better is to address the sources in your fact-check. When you only provide the links below and write "see source below" or "the source," it is unclear to the reader which source you are pulling from. By directly addressing the sources, your fact-check has more validity. I also think that this claim could benefit from a scientific study that directly shows the relationship, even if there is none at all, to VAIDS and COVID vaccines. Having the scientific backing will make your fact-check more valid and reliable.

Answer 3

This claim is false. Schumer has confirmed to having endometriosis, "a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. It can cause severe pain in the pelvis and make it harder to get pregnant" (World Health Organization). On February 15, while speaking on her show "Life & Beth" on instagram, Schumer said, “Thank you so much for everyone’s input about my face! I’ve enjoyed feedback and deliberation about my appearance as all women do for almost 20 years. And you’re right, it is puffier than normal right now. There are some medical and hormonal things going on in my world right now but I’m okay.” As for VAIDS (vaccine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), she has not commented on this matter. In fact, experts have confirmed that this is not a real condition. Donna Farber, chief of division of surgical sciences and professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University said, “There is no phenomenon that I know of ‘Vaccine-induced immunodeficiency syndrome.’ It is not a real syndrome.” Similarly, Dr. Stephen Gluckman, a professor of Infectious Diseases in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the medical director of Penn Global Medicine, said VAIDS is “absolutely not” a real condition.