Kathy Hochul’s eye altered in COVID-19 vaccine video | Fact check

A Sept. 5 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows New York Gov. Kathy Hochul advocating for people to get the COVID-19 vaccine. As she speaks, her left eye appears swollen shut.
“What the hell is wrong with your face Kathy?” reads on-screen text. “Was that from the shot, or from the Chinese spy?”
The post garnered more than 3,000 likes in a day. Other versions of the claim were shared on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter.
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The governor’s eye is digitally altered in the video to make it appear swollen shut. Original footage of Hochul shows both eyes open normally.
Hochul announced the new COVID-19 vaccine for the 2024-2025 season on Sept. 4, recommending the shot for all New Yorkers over 6 months old who haven’t received a COVID-19 vaccine in the last two months.
She shared her experience getting the updated vaccine in a video published on YouTube and X. The original footage shows both of the governor’s eyes opened normally, with neither one stuck shut and no part of her face seemingly paralyzed.
The clip shared on Instagram was also filmed before Hochul got the vaccine, not after, as the footage following that segment shows her getting the shot.
The video of Hochul has nothing to do with the governor’s former aide, who was charged on Sept. 3 with acting as an undisclosed agent for the Chinese government.
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Though muscle paralysis has been reported by some who have received the COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says severe adverse reactions are rare and the vaccine’s benefits outweigh any potential risks.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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