Emmerdale star James Hooton has caused controversy online after interacting with anti-vaxx statements on Twitter. The soap actor from Carlton, Nottingham, liked three tweets encouraging people not to take the Covid vaccine.
Covid booster jabs ffer the best chance to get through the pandemic and after, health officials have repeatedly said. However, the Sam Dingle actor, 48 - a favourite on the ITV soap - seems to disagree.
The most recent controversial post that he liked on Twitter suggested that only vaccinated people get blood clots, monkey pox and other sudden diseases and viruses. It said: "Excuse my ignorance, but are any unvaccinated people getting Bell's palsy shingles, blood clots, monkey pox, mycarditis, or dying suddenly with SADS? Just curious."
READ MORE: Busy A60 Mansfield Road in Nottingham brought to standstill after crash
Two similar tweets following the same anti-vaxx narrative followed. He liked a reply to a tweet posted by Justian Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada.
The Liberal Party leader announced that he had tested positive for Covid-19, to whom Lavern Spicer, a Republican candidate in America, replied with: "Yeah boy those shots are really working great for you! I’ve never been vaccinated and I’ve never had COVID. You’ve been vaccinated four times and have had COVID three times. Honestly, thank God for those vaccines. I really am sure you’re grateful!"
Another tweet that he liked suggested that 'doctors should read the Pfizer reports before recommending the vaccine'. However, it is not the first time the soap actor has backed up controversial beliefs about the vaccine.
Last year, he stated that he 'may not be taking a Covid vaccine' because he is "pro immune system and pro informed choice". The Emmerdale actor, who has played caretaker Sam Dingle in the ITV series since 1995, prompted a debate on Twitter following his remarks.
He revealed he might not take a vaccine for coronavirus in a tweet posted on April 14 last year. His tweet has since been liked more than two-thousand times, and retweeted hundreds of times, but his comments have caused a divide.
In the tweet he said: "I’m 47yrs old. I take Vit c,d, zinc, b-12, Q10 and anti virals such as Andrographis, Sambucus, Curcumin, along with regular exercise and a varied diet.
"I may not be taking a Covid vaccine. I may be labelled “anti vaxer” for being pro immune system, pro informed choice." Some of his fans and followers said they were "disappointed", while others supported his statement.
