Facebook and YouTube have taken down a video by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in which the far-right politician claimed that COVID-19 immunizations are linked to the development of AIDS.

The video, which was recorded on Thursday, violated Facebook and Alphabet Inc's YouTube regulations.

In a statement released on Monday, a Facebook spokeswoman said, "Our policies don't allow claims that COVID-19 vaccines kill or seriously harm people."

Later that day, YouTube announced that it had taken the same action.

"We removed a video from Jair Bolsonaro's channel for alleging that vaccines don't reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 and that they cause other infectious diseases," YouTube said in a statement.

COVID-19 vaccinations certified by health regulators are safe for most people, including those living with HIV. This virus causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, also known as AIDS, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS).

Outside of business hours, Bolsonaro's office did not respond to a request for comment.

YouTube pulled videos from Bolsonaro's official channel in July in which he advocated for the use of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to treat COVID-19, despite scientific evidence that these treatments are ineffective.

Bolsonaro has avoided mentioning these medicines in his live broadcasts since then, claiming that the recordings might be erased and promoting "early treatment" for COVID-19 in general.

Bolsonaro, who tested positive for the coronavirus in July of last year, attributed his subtle symptoms to taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial medicine. While Bolsonaro stated in January that he would not take any COVID-19 vaccination, he did promise to inoculate all Brazilians as soon as possible.

According to national newspapers O Estado de S. Paulo and O Globo, who cited a source acquainted with the situation, YouTube has suspended Bolsonaro for seven days in addition to removing the video.