Complaint
Two viewers complained about an interview with a cardiologist, Dr Aseem Malhotra, on the BBC News Channel in which he claimed “the Covid mRNA vaccines do carry a cardiovascular risk”. The ECU assessed whether the interview met BBC standards of due impartiality.
Outcome
The ECU agreed the interview did not meet the BBC’s Editorial Standards. Senior editors responsible for the channel’s output accepted the claims made by Dr Malhotra should have been challenged more rigorously bearing in mind his well known view on Covid vaccination. A detailed clarification of the issue was, as a result, posted on the BBC’s Corrections and Clarifications website. This made it clear the evidence shows cases of myocarditis following the Covid vaccine are very small. This was sufficient in the ECU’s view to resolve the complaint.
RESOLVED