Jump to content Subscribe (BUTTON) Login (BUTTON) (BUTTON) (BUTTON) Subscribe (BUTTON) Login (BUTTON) * News + UK + World + US + UK Politics + Brexit + Tech + Science + Education + Health + Business + InFact * Independent TV * Climate + SGI + COP26 + Climate News + Climate Voices + Climate Life + InFact Climate * Sport + Football + Formula 1 + Boxing + Rugby Union + Cricket + MMA * Voices + Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade + Editorials + Letters + Shaparak Khorsandi + Mary Dejevsky + Mark Steel + Janet Street-Porter + John Rentoul + Sean O’Grady + Tom Peck * Culture + Film + Music + TV & Radio + Books + Art + Photography + Theatre & Dance + Streaming Hub + Games + Geoffrey Macnab + Clarisse Loughrey + Ed Cumming + Crosswords & puzzles * Premium + John Rentoul + Mary Dejevsky + Chris Blackhurst + Marie Le Conte * indy/life + Travel + Women + Fashion & beauty + Food & Drink + Dating & relationships + Health & fitness + Royal Family + Tech + Money + Design & home + Motoring * IndyBest + Home & garden + Kids + Books + Travel & outdoors + Fashion & Beauty + Food & Drink + Tech + Sports & Fitness + Competitions + Deals + Compare + Christmas + Boxing Day Sales * indy100 * My Independent + Most commented + Ask Me Anything + Virtual Events + Newsletters + Competitions * Vouchers + Samsung + Very + MADE + Oliver Bonas + eBay + TUI + Nike + ASOS + Footasylum + Size + AO.com + Gousto + Vodafone + Gym King + Audible + Cyber Week * Compare + Best Broadband Deals + BT Broadband Deals + Virgin Media Broadband Deals + NOW Broadband Deals + All Broadband Providers + Mobile phone deals + SIM Only Deals + iPhone Deals + Best UK Mobile Networks (BUTTON) (BUTTON) (BUTTON) (BUTTON) * UK Edition * US Edition * Asia Edition * Edición en Español {{#items}} * {{#edition}}{{/edition}}{{title}}{{#children}} {{/children}} {{#children}} {{{children}}} {{/children}} {{/items}} SportMotor RacingFormula 1 Lewis Hamilton criticised after sharing coronavirus anti-vax video on Instagram Formula One world champion shared an anti-vaccination video from content creator King Bach that accused Bill Gates of lying about alleged side effects brought about during trials for coronavirus vaccines Jack de Menezes Sports News Correspondent Monday 27 July 2020 14:26 [spinner_on_black.gif] Comments (BUTTON) (BUTTON) Article bookmarked Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile [ ] Don't show me this message again ✕ ✕ Close Lewis Hamilton wins F1 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton has sought to clarify a deleted post on his Instagram profile after being criticised for sharing an anti-vax conspiracy video that accused Bill Gates of lying about coronavirus vaccine trials. Hamilton shared a screen grab of the video that was posted by Canadian-American content creator King Bach on his Instagram story, which included a picture of Gates in a recent CBSN interview. Below the still of Gates – who is fronting the US’s efforts to develop a vaccine for Covid-19 – read the caption: “I remember when I told my first lie.” Gates appeared on CBSN at the weekend to reject claims that vaccine tests had caused side effects, and the Microsoft co-founder also strongly rejected accusations that he wanted to embed tracking chips in the vaccines. “No, there’s no connection between any of these vaccines and any tracking type thing at all, I don’t know where that came from,” Gates said. Recommended * Ecclestone hits out at Hamilton for ‘uneducated and ignorant’ comment * Vettel joins Hamilton to call for F1 to resolve anti-racism confusion * F1 driver power rankings after Hungarian Grand Prix However, Hamilton’s post has fuelled a wave of criticism due to the anti-vax theory contained within the video and it has opened up the six-time Formula One world champion to a number of negative responses on social media. Hamilton subsequently deleted all of his stories on Instagram, and issued a clarification that he is not against vaccinations and had not seen the comment that was added to the video. “Hi guys. I’ve noticed some comments on my earlier post around the coronavirus vaccine, and want to clarify my thoughts on it, as I understand why they might have been misinterpreted,” Hamilton said. “Firstly, I hadn’t actually seen the comment attached so that is totally my fault and I have a lot of respect for the charity work Bill Gates does. I also want to be clear that I’m not against a vaccine and no doubt it will be important in the fight against coronavirus, and I’m hopeful for its development to help save lives. “However after watching the video, I felt it showed that there is still a lot of uncertainty about the side effects most importantly and how it is going to be funded. I may not always get my posting right, I’m only human but I’m learning as we go. Sending you positivity.” Lewis Hamilton shared this post before deleting it from his Instagram profile (Instagram/@lewishamilton) The post came after UK prime minister Boris Johnson labelled anti-vaxxers “nuts” last week as he announced plans to expand the free flu vaccinations programme to everyone aged over 50. Speaking during a visit to a doctor’s surgery in east London on Friday, Johnson told staff: “There’s all these anti-vaxxers now. They are nuts, they are nuts.” Hamilton has previously used his Instagram profile to share his belief that everyone must turn vegan in order to do their bit to protect the planet, and has also criticised animal cruelty on his stories in recent days. The 35-year-old has more than 18.3m followers on Instagram, and his bio reads: “Plant-based diet. Love Animals Constantly searching for my purpose, for adventure, open-mindedness and positivity.” Recently, tennis world No 1 Novak Djokovic expressed his views that he would have to consider if he would be willing to take a Covid-19 vaccination in order to return to the ATP Tour around the world. “Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” Djokovic said in a live Facebook chat with several fellow Serbian athletes in April. “But if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision. “I have my own thoughts about the matter and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I don’t know. “Hypothetically, if the season was to resume in July, August or September, though unlikely, I understand that a vaccine will become a requirement straight after we are out of strict quarantine and there is no vaccine yet.” Djokovic subsequently returned to action on the ill-fated Adria Tour in June, where he was one of a number of players who contracted coronavirus while playing in Eastern Europe. Register for free to continue reading Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists ____________________Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email ____________________Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number ____________________First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters ____________________Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters [Select your year of birth] You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth [ ] I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Opt-out-policy You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. {{userRef}}_________ {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} (BUTTON) Register (BUTTON) I'll try later Already have an account? sign in By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply. More about F1Formula OneLewis HamiltonBill GatesCoronavirusanti-vax Join our new commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies [spinner_on_white.gif] Comments 1/2Hamilton criticised after sharing coronavirus anti-vax video (BUTTON) Hamilton criticised after sharing coronavirus anti-vax video Formula One world champion shared an anti-vaccination video from content creator King Bach that accused Bill Gates of lying about alleged side effects brought about during trials for coronavirus vaccines Hamilton criticised after sharing coronavirus anti-vax video Lewis Hamilton shared this post before deleting it from his Instagram profile Instagram/@lewishamilton (BUTTON) (BUTTON) ✕ Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. (BUTTON) Subscribe Already subscribed? Log in Most popular Popular videos Trending Featured Sponsored Features Voucher Codes Nike Discount Code Enjoy 25% off your birthday - Nike discount code for members only Footasylum Discount Code 20% off your order with this Footasylum discount code New Balance Student Discount Code Sign up and save 15% - New Balance newsletter discount Very Discount Code Extra 20% off all sale items at Very Booking Com Discounts Early 2022 savings: 15% or more Booking.com discount for New Year (BUTTON) * Get in touch + Contact us + Jobs + * Our Products + Subscribe + Register + Newsletters + Donate + Install our apps + Archive * Other publications + International editions + Independent en Español + Independent Arabia + Independent Turkish + Independent Persian + Independent Urdu + Evening Standard + Novaya Gazeta * Extras + All topics + Voucher codes + Compare + Independent Advertising + Syndication + Working at The Independent * Legal + Code of conduct and complaints + Contributors + Cookie policy + Donations Terms & Conditions + Privacy notice + Privacy settings + User policies + Modern Slavery Act Thank you for registering Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in (BUTTON) (BUTTON) ✕ Log in ____________________Email address ____________________Password Email and password don't match [ ] Keep me logged in (BUTTON) Submit Forgotten your password? New to The Independent? Register Or if you would prefer: (BUTTON) SIGN IN WITH GOOGLE Want an ad-free experience? View offers This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy notice and Terms of service apply. Hi {{indy.fullName}} * My Independent Premium * Account details * Help centre * Logout IFRAME: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5XT7NPD