Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton found himself in hot water after sharing an anti-vaxxer post on Instagram and has now clarified that he is “not against a vaccine” for Covid-19. He has since deleted the post which suggested that Bill Gates was lying about coronavirus vaccine trials.
The post by actor and internet content creator King Bach shows an interview with American businessman and philanthropist Bill Gates. In the clip, Gates offers reassurance over vaccine side effects and also rejects conspiracy theories floating around in social media that the vaccine will be used to put microchips in people.
Hamilton shared the post that was captioned, “I remember when I told my first lie”.
The Mercedes driver was heavily criticised for spreading disinformation. Hamilton has been at the forefront while campaigning for social justice and taking a stand against racism for which he has been commended by fans. However, this particular post in support of anti-vaccination has not gone down well with them.
After taking down the post, Hamilton said in a statement that he hadn’t seen the comment that was given along with the clip. He added that he wanted to show there is “uncertainty around side effects” of vaccines.
“I’ve noticed some comments on my earlier post about the coronavirus vaccine, and want to clarify my thoughts on it, as I understand why they might have been misinterpreted,” he said.
“Firstly I hadn’t actually seen the comment attached so that is totally my fault and I have a lot of respect for the charity work Bill Gates does.
“I also want to be clear that I am not against a vaccine and no doubt it will be important in the fight against coronavirus, and I’m hopeful for its development to save lives.
“However after watching the video, I felt it showed that there is still a lot of uncertainty about the side effects most importantly and how it is going to be funded. I may not always get my posting right. I’m only human but I’m learning as we go,” Hamilton said.
