Did Vladimir Putin's daughter die after receiving a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? No, that's not true: Russia's president said that he's spoken to his daughter and that she's "feeling well," according to Russian news agency TASS.
The claim appeared in an article (archived here) published by Toronto Today on August 15, 2020. The story opened:
Vladimir Putin's daughter suffered unexpected side effects to the experimental Russian COVID vaccine, and has passed away in Moscow. The Kremlin has yet to make a statement on her death.
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Vladimir Putin's daughter DIES after second dose of COVID vaccine - Toronto Today
August 15, 2020 Moscow, Russia Vladimir Putin's daughter suffered unexpected side effects to the experimental Russian COVID vaccine, and has passed away in Moscow. The Kremlin has yet to make a statement on her death. A source within Russia's inner circle stated that Putin's daughter - Katerina Tikhonova - suffered a rise in temperature shortly after her second injection, and then suffered
Nearly two weeks after Toronto Today published its story, TASS reported that Putin's daughter is alive. It quoted the president directly, saying:
It is clear today to our specialists that this vaccine gives a sustainable immunity, antibodies emerge, just like they did in my daughter's case, and is harmless. Thank God, my daughter is feeling well."
According to TASS, Putin's daughter had fevers after receiving the first and second doses of the vaccine. But she is fine. Putin reportedly said:
I just spoke with her on the phone, she is feeling well, it's all good."
It's worth noting that Toronto Today's article isn't the only instance of the website reporting false information. On August 29, 2020, it falsely said that actor Chadwick Boseman had been poisoned. Lead Stories' debunk of that claim can be found here.
