FACT CHECK: Is the WHO Director General Not Vaccinated against COVID-19

A video shared on Facebook purportedly shows World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying he has not received a COVID-19 vaccine.

Verdict: Misleading

While the clip is genuine, it was filmed over a year ago. In the full interview, Ghebreyesus explains he received his first COVID-19 vaccine shot the month before, a moment he documented on his Twitter account.

Fact Check:

The Aug. 4 Facebook video appears to show a clip of an interview Ghebreyesus did in which he seemingly states he has not yet received a COVID-19 vaccination. Ghebreyesus responds to the interviewer by saying “I still feel that I belong in Ethiopia and Africa. He wants to wait for other countries in low-income regions to start vaccinations. So I was protesting, in other words, because we’re failing.”

“Tedros not jabbed?” reasds the video’s caption. Who would have thought that? Here you have #WHO Director General #Tedros saying he is not vaccinated… WHO is one big sham… WAKE UP! You have been played.”

Another iteration shared on Twitter shows the same video. “Tedros not jabbed? “Well, who would have thought?” reads the tweet.

Tedros not jabbed? Who would have thought it? pic.twitter.com/Cf1Vt8pQm2

— Wendy B#RejectTheReform#StopTheTreaty (@WendyB89696502) August 4, 2022

The video is missing context. The clip stems from a scene in the HBO documentary “How to Survive a Pandemic” in which Ghebreyesus is interviewed by a reporter in June 2021. Facbook shared the scene, however Ghebreyesus was not able to give his full response. Accroding to a print edition of the full interview, the WHO head told the interviewer he recieved his first shot in May 2021 and then went on to explain why he had chosen not to receive it sooner. He claims that he received his first shot in May. The documentary seems to have removed the portion.

Ghebreyesus shared an image of himself receiving the shot on his verified Twitter account in May 2021. (RELATED: Did The Who Director-General Say COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters Are Being ‘Used To Kill Children’? )

Today it was my turn to get vaccinated @Hopitaux_unige against #COVID19. Vaccines save lives. It is crucial to ensure that they reach all countries as soon as possible. It is crucial to get them all vaccinations as soon as possible. pic.twitter.com/ioNMLH5TW9

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 12, 2021

“Dr Tedros has been vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 and has communicated this publicly, including after receiving his first dose in May 2021,” a WHO spokesperson said in an email to Check Your Fact. “The social media post claiming Dr Tedros is not vaccinated is blatantly false, and another example of harmful misinformation shared in relation to vital health matters.”