Uğur Şahin, the founder of the German BioNTech company, which offered the first Corona virus vaccine to the world, responded to the rumors on social media that there was no vaccine about him. Şahin announced on his LinkedIn account that he had been vaccinated for three doses, with a photograph and a quote of  the forme leader of India, Mahatma Gandhi.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “The enemy is fear. We think it’s hate, but in reality it’s fear.”

“For several months now, my friends have been pushing me to post a photo of me getting vaccinated to address these false rumors.”

There has been misinformation on social media that I am supposedly not vaccinated. In fact, my wife and I have both received 3 doses of the BioNTech Pfizer vaccine. For several months now, friends have been urging me to post a photo of me being vaccinated to address these false rumors.

Until now, I had refused to do so, as I believe that my communication should not be about me. I believe that my communication should contribute to scientific transparency and provide data, facts and insights.

AI was deeply saddened to learn that an old school friend of mine is currently fighting for his life. He is fighting against severe COVID-19 and has been on a ventilator for 3 weeks. I learned from his wife that he and his family were not vaccinated. I did not ask why they made this decision. People have different, personal reasons. However, the most common root cause seems to be fear, often fueled by misinformation and distrust. Fear is not rational, yet it always feels real and justified. It is people’s fear that often turns into anger and hate.

Fear is hard to combat with facts and figures. Sometimes fear can be better defeated by sharing personal experiences. Therefore, to reach out to those who are struggling  their fears, I would like to share a picture showing my COVID-19 vaccination in early 2021.”