FACT CHECK: Did Australia See A 63% Drop In Births After The Introduction Of COVID-19 Vaccines?

A photo shared on Instagram allegedly shows an article claiming birth rates in Australia dramatically dropped following COVID-19 vaccinations.

Verdict: False

This claim originates from a website that regularly publishes misinformation. A report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the birth rate increased, not decreased, between 2020 and 2021.

Fact Check:

Australia introduced a new COVID-19 vaccine to boost supply and combat a surge in cases, but did not recommend a fifth vaccine dose as of now, according to The Guardian. Experts are also concerned as the U.S. and other nations could see a surge in cases as the winter approaches and gatherings move indoors, The New York Times reported.

The Facebook post purports Australia has seen a massive drop in birth rates due to the COVID-19 vaccination. The post shares a screenshot of an article attributed to Sean Adl-Tabatabai with an image of three empty baby cribs and a “Fact Checked” certification.

“Australia Sees 63% Drop in Births After Introduction of Toxic Covid Jabs – Govt Baffled,” the headline reads. (RELATED: Did The UK Ban The COVID-19 Vaccine Due To Health Concerns?)

The claim is false. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to corroborate the claim. The article itself stems from the online website NewsPunch, which has repeatedly been criticized for spreading misinformation, according to FactCheck.org and Google.

A spokesperson for the Australian Embassy in America directed Check Your Fact to a news release on birth rates from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The report shows that the birth rate did not decrease, but instead increased by 5.3%. COVID vaccines were first available in Australia on Feb. 22, 2021, according to the Australian Department of Health.

Check Your Fact has reached out to the Australian Department of Health for a comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

This is not the first time misinformation about foreign countries has spread online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim 15,000 Iranian protesters were sentenced to death.