Justin Bieber did not blame Covid-19 vaccine for his facial paralysis

The viral claim was shared from a satirical news report published by the Vancouver Times.

International pop star Justin Bieber informed his fans about a rare medical condition he was diagnosed with; his medical condition is known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome. He explained that due to this disease, he was unable to move one side of his face and said this was the reason why he cancelled some concerts.

After this, a viral post on social media claims that Justin Bieber has blamed the Covid-19 vaccines for his medical condition and the reason for his partial paralysis. Users are sharing a news report by the Vancouver Times who reported that Bieber plans to sue Pfizer for causing paralysis.

The caption of the post states, “Justin Bieber now admits that he regrets taking the Covid-19 vaccine, saying that it left him with permanent paralysis in his face. Bieber reportedly plans on suing Pfizer for causing his paralysis, despite the fact the company is shielded from liability.”

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Fact Check- 

We started our investigation by visiting Vancouver Times website as it has been cited as the only source to the viral post. According to the report published by Vancouver Times, Justin Bieber admitted that he regrets taking the Covid-19 vaccine, as it has caused permanent paralysis in his face. 

Next, we visited the About Us section of this website, which clearly mentions that this is a satirical website. The website states, “Vancouver Times is the most trusted source for satire on the West Coast. We write satirical stories about issues that affect conservatives.

We are not affiliated with the mainstream media (CBC, CTV etc.) in any way, and any similarities between our content and the work of the MSM is purely coincidental.”

This makes it very clear that the viral article has been shared from a satirical website and is not real.

What is the Ramsay Hunt Syndrome?

Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a rare neurological disorder that typically affects adults over 60 years of age. The disorder is characterized by facial weakness or paralysis of the facial nerve (facial palsy) and a rash affecting the ear or mouth. 

In addition to the painful shingles rash, Ramsay Hunt syndrome can cause facial paralysis and hearing loss in the affected ear. The same virus that causes chickenpox causes Ramsay Hunt syndrome. After chickenpox clears up, the virus still lives in your nerves. Years later, it may reactivate. When it does, it can affect your facial nerves.

Justin Bieber has also spoken about similar symptoms when he announced his diagnosis. He said, “It is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis,”

We could not find any relevant news reports that states that he has blamed the Covid-19 vaccine or Pfizer for his facial paralysis.

How do we know that COVID-19 vaccines are safe?

According to WHO, there are strict precautions in place to help ensure the safety of all COVID-19 vaccines. WHO and regulatory authorities will continuously monitor the use of COVID-19 vaccines to identify and respond to any safety issues that might arise. Through that process, they have ascertain that they remain safe for use around the world.

Conclusion-

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral post to be False. Justin Bieber did not blame Covid-19 vaccine or Pfizer for his facial paralysis. There is no evidence that Justin Bieber has attributed his facial paralysis to the Covid-19 vaccine. The viral claim was shared from a satirical news report published by the Vancouver Times.