Social media users are sharing reports that cast doubt on whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi received the COVID-19 vaccine, claiming the cap is still on her. Photos from the moment she received her vaccination on Reuters and Getty Images show that the needle was exposed at the end of the syringe, and what is interpreted as the shell is actually the needle hub, which is located just in front of the needle.
The reports (here, here, here, here) show photos of Pelosi receiving the vaccine, with a doctor putting a syringe with a thick, orange colored “tip” in her left arm.
Captions include: “How do you still use a syringe with the cap on?”; “How are you going to get a chance with the cap still stuck?” Come on Pelosi! Do not trust it ?? ”; ‘Pelosi got the vaccine for covies. Can someone explain how effective the vaccine is if you leave the cap on the needle. You are not misleading anyone. ”; and “Did you really think one of them would get the vaccine?”
On December 18, Pelosi received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (here), initially given to health workers and some government officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, after they were authorized on December 11 (here). In the United States, COVID-19 killed more than 300,000 people and infected more than 17 million.
Other photos on Reuters Photos and Getty Images show that there is clearly a needle at the end of the syringe (here, here).
The orange portion of the recording, which social media users interpret as a cap, is placed between the needle and the syringe and does not cover the needle. This part of the syringe is known as the needle hub and secures the needle and syringe (here).
VERDICT
Untrue. Photos show that the syringe Nancy Pelosi used for her COVID-19 vaccine had a needle at the end.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.