Coronavirus: Police investigating fake news claiming death of child aged 12 from jab

The police cybercrime unit said Thursday it was investigating a fake post on social media claiming a 12-year-old child had died in Limassol a day after receiving a Covid jab.

The post, which also claimed the death had been confirmed by “insiders”, was denied by the health ministry. Nor had any incidents involving vaccination side-effects been reported, a ministry official said.

Limassol police too could not confirm such a claim while none of the state pathologists had been asked to investigate a child’s death.

In a statement in the afternoon, police said it had launched an investigation into the origin of the post following a formal complaint by the chairman of the paediatric society Michalis Anastasiades.

Police urged the public to be extra careful regarding such posts and avoid sharing them if they have not been confirmed by the authorities.