Experts dismiss ex-Indonesian minister’s false claim on myocarditis and Covid-19 vaccines

A video of a former Indonesian health minister falsely claiming pineapple and turmeric can cure myocarditis caused by Covid-19 vaccines has been watched hundreds of thousands of times on social media. Medical experts have also there is “no evidence” that pineapple and turmeric can be used to treat myocarditis.

“Turmeric + Pineapple,” reads the caption of this Facebook post, dated September 3, 2023.

The post shares a video of former Indonesian health minister Siti Fadilah Supari saying that Covid-19 vaccines have caused many cases of myocarditis — or inflammation of the heart muscle — in Western countries.

She then claims Dr William Makis of Canada has found that consuming curcumin and bromelain — both contained in turmeric and pineapple, respectively — could cure the condition.

“The herbal mixture of curcumin and pineapple can fight the side effect of the Covid-19 vaccines,” Siti Fadilah says.

The two-minute, 38-second video has been viewed more than 122,000 times.

Siti Fadilah, who served as Indonesia’s health minister from 2004 to 2009, is known for pushing conspiracy theories about the World Health Organization (WHO) and vaccine hesitancy during the pandemic, according to local media reports here, here and here (archived links here, here and here).

She was sentenced to four years in prison in 2017 after she was found guilty of accepting bribes in the state-funded procurement of medical equipment (archived link).

Makis — the Canadian physician cited in the clip — is known to have made false claims about the Covd-19 vaccine, which AFP has debunked here and here.

The same footage has racked up more than 222,000 views after it was shared elsewhere on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, SnackVideo, YouTube and X, previously known as Twitter.

However, the claim is false.

According to both the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the WHO, there have been rare cases of myocarditis after mRNA Covid-19 vaccination but the cases are generally mild and most patients recover quickly following treatment (archived links here and here).

Medical experts also told AFP that studies show it is more likely for a person to develop myocarditis after they are infected with the Covid-19 virus than after they have received the vaccine.

They also rubbished the claim that turmeric and pineapple can cure myocarditis.

‘No evidence’

Dr Ade Meidian Ambari, a cardiologist and the president of the Indonesian Heart Association (PERKI), said while turmeric — which contains curcumin — and pineapple — which contains bromelain — have certain anti-inflammatory benefits, it “needs to be studied more” (archived here).

He said that myocarditis treatment is different for every patient and it is important to consult with medical professionals to understand individual cases.

“For example, if it is caused by an infection, then the treatment includes managing the infection. Apart from that, myocarditis treatment is also given based on the symptoms experienced by the patient,” he told AFP on September 19, 2023.

Dr David Gorski, a professor at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in the United States and the managing editor of website Science-Based Medicine, also dismissed the claim (archived link).

“I know of no evidence suggesting that turmeric and/or pineapple can have any use whatsoever treating myocarditis due to any cause, be it infection, vaccine, or idiopathic,” he wrote in an email on October 10, 2023. “Nor am I aware of any plausible biological mechanism by which turmeric and/or pineapple might be used to treat myocarditis.”

Gorski also discussed about bromelain in his article debunking quack treatments for “Covid vaccine injury” (archived link).

Treatment of myocarditis following the Covid vaccine generally involves nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), colchicine, steroids and intravenous immunoglobulins, according to multiple medical experts here, here and here (archived links here, here and here).

Meanwhile, on September 15, 2023, Prof Hindra Irawan Satari, the chairman of the National Commission on Post-Immunization Accidents (Komnas KIPI), told AFP that the risk of myocarditis in those infected with Covid-19 is “seven times higher” than those who received Covid-19 vaccines.

His comment echoed a 2022 study by Penn State College of Medicine scientists, which found that the risk of developing myocarditis was “more than seven times higher in the infection group than in the vaccination group” (archived link).

‘Disinformation’

Indonesia’s Health Ministry has also debunked Siti Fadilah’s claim on its official Facebook page on September 5, 2023 (archived link).

“[DISINFORMATION] Covid-19 Vaccination Raises Risk of Myocarditis,” it says.

The post also shared a screenshot of the misleading video, with the word “DISINFORMATION” stamped on the picture.

Although the face of the person in the video is covered, it is clear from the same clothing style, clip-on mic and background that it is the same video of Siti Fadillah.

AFP has also debunked misinformation about the risk of myocarditis from Covid-19 vaccines here, here and here.