Fact Checked By THIP, February 7, 2025:
Quick Take
A social media post claims that Moderna’s CEO confessed to creating a COVID vaccine before the pandemic. After fact checking, we found that the claim is false.
The Claim
According to an Instagram post, “Moderna CEO confessed to creating the COVID-19 vaccine 2 years before the virus was released to the world. This means that they knew COVID was coming, that it was pre-planned, pre-meditated, and launched on the world for profit and power. God we pray for exposure and justice for Dr. Fauci, Bill Gates, and the pharmaceutical industry in Jesus’ name. Amen!” A similar post was shared on Threads social media platform as well.
Fact Check
Did Moderna’s CEO say they made a COVID vaccine before the pandemic?
No, there’s no evidence. At Davos 2023, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel mentioned that in 2019, the company produced 100,000 doses from all its projects combined. This number covered vaccines for various health issues, such as treatments for rare diseases and cancer. It was not a stockpile of COVID-19 vaccines. His comment was about overall production levels, not about having a COVID vaccine ready in advance.
Was the COVID vaccine developed before the virus appeared?
No, it was not. Moderna only started working on a COVID-19 vaccine in January 2020. In 2019, the company was busy testing several vaccine candidates for other diseases like Zika, flu, and other conditions. The 100,000 doses mentioned were from their entire vaccine portfolio, not a COVID-19 vaccine. Once the virus was identified, they quickly ramped up production to meet global demand, which explains the jump from 100,000 to a billion doses.
Is there any truth to the idea that COVID was planned for profit and power?
No, this is pure misinformation. The research behind vaccines, including mRNA technology, has been going on for many years. The main aim was to improve public health, not at planning a pandemic. The rapid development of the COVID-19 vaccine was a response to an unexpected global crisis, not a premeditated move for profit or power.
Similar to this, we have debunked a previous claim which suggests that COVID-19 vaccines were a military project.
Are the accusations against public figures like Dr Fauci and Bill Gates accurate?
No, these accusations are false. There is no solid evidence to support the involvement of Dr Fauci, Bill Gates, or others in a plot to profit from the pandemic. These individuals have spent years working to improve public health and manage outbreaks. They focused their efforts during the COVID-19 crisis on saving lives and controlling the spread of the virus.
Despite their contributions, conspiracy theories continue to circulate. Bill Gates, for example, is often the target of such claims, including allegations that Mpox was a planned pandemic orchestrated by him and that he supports a depopulation agenda. Some even allege that a video of him discussing vaccines and depopulation was removed to hide his motives. These claims are baseless, with no credible evidence to support them. Similarly, false claims about Dr Fauci suggest he admitted that 72 essential childhood vaccines lack safety testing, which is also untrue.
THIP Media Take
The claim that Moderna’s CEO confessed to creating a COVID vaccine before the pandemic is false. His remarks at Davos 2023 referred to the company’s overall production numbers in 2019 and the massive scale-up needed when the pandemic hit. Moderna only began developing a COVID-19 vaccine in January 2020, after the virus emerged. There is no credible evidence to support any theory that COVID-19 was a planned pandemic for profit or power.
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Story from THIP Media: Fact Check: Did Moderna’s CEO confess to making a COVID vaccine before the pandemic?
