OC Supervisor Wants 'Vaccine Tracker' Story Retracted

YORBA LINDA, CA — Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner railed against the media that lampooned a public conversation he had about vaccine "tracking devices" at a Board of Supervisors meeting, saying that The Daily Beast, HuffPost, The Hill and others took his comments out of context and need to retract their stories about him.

It all started with a tweet from a guy named Timothy Burke who made "an irresponsible tweet, and it went on from there," Wagner said in a news conference Thursday.

Burke's Twitter post Wednesday showed a clip of Wagner discussing vaccine hesitancy with Orange County Health Care Agency Director Clayton Chau. In the clip, Wagner asked Chau if vaccines contained tracking devices. It is that comment that drew media attention.

"They never sought comments from us," Wagner said "They never posted statements from us. They did not do the diligence responsible journalists should do when covering a story."

"At least The Washington Post, NBC News and, ultimately, The Hill contacted us for the other side of the full story," he added.

Talk show hosts also made fun of Wagner's comments, but, he said, "they are not responsible journalists. That's fine."

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— Exiled (@ExileOC) April 29, 2021

Patch reached out to The Daily Beast, HuffPost and The Hill for comment.

That clip captured a moment in a lengthy conversation between the men about QR codes, vaccination passports and the method by which Orange County distributes coronavirus proof-of-vaccination cards. Many residents who oppose vaccination have cried out against any public health tracking of any kind.

"I know that Supervisor Wagner does not believe this myth" about tracking devices, Chau said on Thursday. "I am the one who vaccinated both him and his wife at a vaccination event in Tustin."

At issue was part of the wording of an amendment to the Othena contract with the county, which has not yet been made public.

Patch sent a second formal records request for a copy of the amendment document, which is still under wraps as of this report. An amendment is being removed from the original Othena contract that describes vaccine passports, tracking and more.

A transcript of the video in Burke's tweet follows.

Wagner: "We've gotten rid of that amendment. It is gone. And there is a replacement coming. No passport."

Chau: "Not even verification records. It simply says OC vaccine verification."

Wagner: "Which we are required by law to provide only at the patient's request?"

Chau: "That's correct."

Wagner: "Is there any intention of tracking folks?"

Chau: "Nope."

Wagner takes a breath: "Is there anything in the vaccine — as we heard about — an injection in the vaccine of a tracking device? Is that being done anywhere? In Orange County?"

Chau laughs behind his mask: "I'm sorry, I had to compose myself. There is not a vaccine with a tracking device embedded in it that I know of that exists in the world. Period."

Wagner: "Is the amendment to the contract that is coming going to be made available to the public?"

At that point, County CEO Frank Kim said that the amendment to the Othena contract would be made public as soon as it is made available.

Wagner: "If you have nothing to hide, let's not act like we're trying to hide anything."

Supervisor Lisa Bartlett discussed voluntary choice with vaccine verification, on paper or on phones.

The exchange between Chau and Wagner was edited and shared across social media. The discussion on The Daily Beast and other media outlets cited only a portion of the exchange, noting that vaccinations most certainly do not have tracking devices.

During public comments earlier in that same meeting, about 65 Orange County residents spoke out on issues of mask-wearing requirements and conspiracy theories related to vaccinations and other issues— several of which are untrue. That is what the pair were trying to fight in their conversation, Wagner said.

The story was picked up by late-night talk shows, which showcased the exchange between Wagner and Chau about tracking devices in vaccines.

Wagner opposes government-issued vaccination passports, but he favors people getting vaccinated and has been an outspoken proponent of them, he said, pointing out that he has personally received one.

Both Chau and Wagner encouraged the public to get the coronavirus vaccine if possible. This vaccine can save lives, Wagner said.

Wagner shared his vaccination photo with his constituents in early April over Twitter; Chau was the one who gave him a shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Both know that vaccine hesitancy in Orange County is a real thing. "Vaccine hesitancy is real in Orange County, and it is responsible leadership to confront and quell any public fears head-on," Wagner said in a statement before the Thursday news conference.

"Some people may have doubts about the vaccines, but some of the reasons are outlandish, like the 'vaccine tracker' myth," Wagner said. "Many OC residents have voiced concerns about a 'vaccine tracker,' and there is a national gap in the vaccine hesitancy reduction conversation that must be addressed."

To date, vaccinations in Orange County have slowed for residents under the age of 65. "In the name of public health, we are concerned these sensational stories (such as the lampoon article in The Daily Beast) will cause individuals to further avoid the vaccine," Wagner said.

"We request a public retraction of the misinformation and a clear explanation of our positions," he said. "We do not want individuals to read the false story and avoid the vaccine."

Watch the full county board meeting here and let us know what you think about this ongoing conversation.