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Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp has made headlines for bringing up the "AIDS vaccine" mandate to criticize President Joe Biden's efforts to curb the Covid-19 pandemic.
The problem: There is no vaccine for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Kemp made the remarks during a recent appearance on right-wing commentator Erick Erickson's podcast, during which he stressed that he will not sign off on any vaccine mandates.
You can hear Kemp's remarks in the video below.
VERIFY: Gov. Kemp claimed mandating a non-existent AIDS vaccine didn't workwww.youtube.com
According to Kemp, a "focus on being civil and educating people" about the Covid-19 vaccines is the way to control the ongoing pandemic.
"That is basically how the AIDS vaccine worked. People wouldn't take it early on because it was mandated, they started educating people and now it is doing a lot of good out there."
"Same scenario, different year that we are dealing with right now."
This isn't the first time Kemp has raised the subject of a nonexistent AIDS vaccine
In remarks last month, Kemp cited the failures of the nonexistent AIDS vaccine as reason enough to oppose a statewide mask mandate:
"Well we are not going to have a statewide mask mandate. [Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health Dr. Kathleen] Tumi and I believe that they do not work."
"They did not work with the AIDS vaccine and they're not going to work with the corona vaccine."
But he's lying.
HIV.gov, a website maintained by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), notes there "is currently no vaccine available that will prevent HIV infection or treat those who have it."
Kemp's comments come as Georgia continues to face one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks in the nation. Deaths have risen nearly 1,000% since August 1.
Both of these things are even more egregious when you consider that Kemp heads the state that is home to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Kemp has been harshly criticized for his comments as well as his inaction.
Poor @GovKemp \nIt\u2019s not that easy keeping up with the incredibly ignorant #DeathSantis @GovRonDeSantis and his sidekick @GovAbbott tag team , is it?\nBut, he\u2019s trying and unfortunately Georgia residents are paying the deadly price.https://twitter.com/amandamarcotte/status/1439245494706974721\u00a0\u2026— A. McCormick (@A. McCormick) 1631985986
What. The. Fuck. There is no "AIDS vaccine." It would be a vaccine against HIV, and no such vaccine exists.https://twitter.com/AmandaMarcotte/status/1439245494706974721\u00a0\u2026— E\u03bbf Sternberg (@E\u03bbf Sternberg) 1631987890
Dammit, Brian Kemp, can you get anything right? You\u2019re embarrassing us. There is no HIV/AIDS vaccine. Hopefully we\u2019ll have one soon, but it\u2019s not here yet.https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/fact-check-has-there-ever-been-a-mandated-aids-vaccine/ar-AAOxSCg\u00a0\u2026— SewNerd \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf39 (@SewNerd \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf39) 1631980637
I can't decide whether Kemp is really this abysmally ignorant, or if he just hopes his Georgia constituents are.https://twitter.com/AmandaMarcotte/status/1439245494706974721\u00a0\u2026— Lynn Mary Karjala (@Lynn Mary Karjala) 1631989072
Gov. Brian Kemp\u2019s office is trying to spin it that he meant to say (more than once) HPV vaccine, but he didn\u2019t say HIV vaccine. He said AIDS vaccine. So he simply didn\u2019t even know what Dr. Toomey was talking about, yet he gets to make health decisions for the state.— Becky Gaunt (@Becky Gaunt) 1631906081
To be very clear.. There is no such thing. This is total bullshit claim. Utter total bullshit.\n\nRT @Salon\n\nGeorgia Gov. Brian Kemp keeps mentioning failed AIDS vaccine mandates. But there is no AIDS vaccine https://twitter.com/Salon/status/1439016689568559108\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/WI37ZqGiTC— Tomi T Ahonen (@Tomi T Ahonen) 1631986690
Brian Kemp is 57 years old.\nOr 17 years older than AIDS.\n\nThere's no way anyone his age has forgotten the fear and despair as it slowly became clear that we were not getting a vaccine anytime soon.\n\nWhich means he's lying.https://twitter.com/AnthonyMKreis/status/1438672623551094784\u00a0\u2026— Ahsoka Tano (@Ahsoka Tano) 1631903558
1) there is NO AIDS vaccine. PrEP is not a vaccine & has never been mandated.\n\n2) by saying \u201cAIDS vaccine\u201d brian kemp is not mistaken, he is deliberately LYING TO YOU to shape a narrative that fits his political objection to mandates.\n\nhttps://twitter.com/AnthonyMKreis/status/1438672623551094784\u00a0\u2026— Nikhil Patil (@Nikhil Patil) 1631843143
Only a moron would buy Brian Kemp's claim about a failed AIDS vaccine when there never was an AIDS vaccine. But it is obvious that Kemp is going after the moron vote.\n\nBrian Kemp knows his target demographic well.https://twitter.com/SafetyPinDaily/status/1439236526735560710\u00a0\u2026— Robin Messing (@Robin Messing) 1631984530
Although vaccine mandates have become the hot topic in conservative circles, the majority of Americans agree with them and with President Biden's Covid-19 vaccination requirements.
According to a recent Axios-Ipsos poll, more than half of Americans—60%—support mandates, an indication public health mandates are viewed as a proven way to gain control of a pandemic.