Debunked: Anti-Vaccine Event in Argentina Promotes False Claims of Magnetic Reaction to COVID-19 Vaccines
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A recent anti-vaccine event held in Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccines cause a “magnetic” reaction in the body, a claim repeatedly debunked by global health organizations and scientific experts. The event underscores the continued spread of misinformation surrounding vaccines and the challenges public health officials face in maintaining vaccination rates amidst resurgent preventable diseases.
False Claims Surface at Congressional Event
On November 27, an event titled “What do COVID-19 vaccines really contain?” took place in the Annex of the Chamber of Deputies, organized by Marilú Quiroz, a representative for the PRO party in Chaco. During the presentation, a man attempted to demonstrate this alleged “magnetization” by sticking a magnet to his chest, attributing the effect to the COVID-19 vaccine. However, this demonstration is demonstrably false.
The claim of vaccine-induced magnetism has circulated widely throughout the pandemic, and has been consistently refuted by leading health authorities, including the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and numerous fact-checking organizations.
The Science Behind the Myth: Surface Tension and Skin Oils
Experts explain that the phenomenon of magnets sticking to skin is due to surface tension – a physical property of liquids – and the natural oils present on human skin, not any component of the vaccines themselves. As Dr. Fabricio Ballarini, a doctor in Biological Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires, explained, “Objects – not just magnetic objects – can stick to us because there is a property called ‘surface tension’. The water between the objects and our finger generates a kind of ‘sticky’.” He further demonstrated this principle in a video posted to his Instagram account, showing how breadcrumbs and a plastic spoon also adhere to the skin.
María Noelia Lardizábal, a graduate in Biotechnology and doctor in Biological Sciences from the National University of Rosario, emphasized that “It has not been proven that covid vaccines produce that effect. They do not have this type of metals, neither in quantity nor in specificity that produce that effect in the body.” She added that the effect occurs in both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, and with both magnetic and non-magnetic objects. Simply applying talcum powder to the skin eliminates the adhesion, further demonstrating it is not due to magnetism.
Vaccine Composition and Safety Confirmed
COVID-19 vaccines – including AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, Sinopharm, and Pfizer, which were administered in Argentina – do not contain any metallic components capable of attracting magnets. The WHO confirmed in 2021 that “vaccines are free of metals that would cause a magnetic attraction to the body,” and the CDC similarly stated that receiving a COVID-19 vaccine will not make individuals magnetic.
Physicist Alberto Nájera, professor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain, assured Maldita.es that COVID-19 vaccines contain “no chemical element or material that has magnetic properties.” Even hypothetically, Nájera explained, the amount of magnetic material injected would be insufficient to create a noticeable effect, and any such material would render the vaccine opaque.
Political Context and Public Health Concerns
The event was promoted by Deputy Marilú Quiroz, who publicly announced the “scientific meeting to debate the adverse effects of vaccines” on November 10. Quiroz, a tourism businesswoman, assumed office in December 2021 and her term is set to end in ten days. On November 11, she presented a draft declaration to the Chamber of Deputies seeking to review the mandatory nature of vaccination established by Law 27.491, citing concerns about patient autonomy and informed consent as outlined in the recent Law 27.797 (Nicolas Law) of 2024.
During the event, biotechnology graduate Lorena Diblasi, known for her previously questioned reports against vaccines, claimed the adhesion was “magnetization” and not simply skin oil. This assertion was made while a man was visibly struggling to get a magnet to stick to his body.
The event has prompted calls for a plenary of commissions “in defense of vaccination and public health,” particularly as Argentina experiences a resurgence of preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough due to declining vaccination coverage. Minister of Health Mario Lugones affirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that the National Vaccination Schedule contains vaccines “based on scientific evidence and decades of safe use,” and that each vaccine undergoes rigorous quality and effectiveness evaluations.
The persistence of these false claims highlights the ongoing need for robust public health communication and a commitment to evidence-based medicine in the face of misinformation.
