Coronavirus: Canterbury District Health Board denies anti-vaxxers' claims child collapsed in Rangiora after COVID vaccine

The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) has shot down another anti-vaxx rumour claiming a child collapsed because of the COVID vaccine.

A photo was posted on social media on January 17 showing a young person lying on the pavement outside a vaccination clinic.

"Another kid down in Rangiora today," the caption stated.

However the CDHB says the rumour is false.

"The incident you refer to is completely unrelated to the COVID-19 vaccine. To protect the privacy of the individual, we will not be providing further comment," a Canterbury DHB spokesperson told Newshub. 

The photo shared on social media is one of a number of false claims made by anti-vaxxers in the Canterbury region recently.

The CDHB released another statement regarding a similar claim of a child being injured in east Christchurch last week. 

"These claims are incorrect. Canterbury DHB has not received any reports of adverse events related to administering the paediatric vaccine," Dr Helen Skinner, senior responsible officer for the COVID-19 response, Canterbury DHB told Newshub.

Meanwhile, false rumours are also being spread about the vaccine rollout in Auckland.

Last week the Ministry of Health (MoH) denied a viral claim that five kids collapsed at a North Shore vaccination centre.

"We are aware of some claims of adverse events occurring at the Eventfinda Stadium drive-through vaccination centre on the North Shore. These are incorrect," NRHCC clinical director Dr Anthony Jordan told Newshub last week. 

"We can confirm there are no reports of any such events occurring."

The ministry has asked anyone who is looking for information about the COVID-19 vaccine to only go to trusted sources.

"We're aware of this material but encourage people to only go to trusted sources of information when seeking to find out more about the virus and the vaccine," a Ministry of Health spokesperson told Newshub.

The ministry has called on Kiwis to do their part in stopping the spread of misinformation. 

"Misinformation can be spread through a range of different channels including social media, traditional media (television, radio and print), pamphlets, posters and letterbox drops," a Ministry of Health spokesperson said.

"One of the best ways to stop misinformation from spreading is by only sharing information from official sources like covid19.govt.nz, health.govt.nz, karawhiua.nz, the Ministry for Pacific People, or health providers.

"We all have a responsibility to stop misinformation spreading, and we encourage people to only go to trusted sources to get reliable information."