&Quot;Vaccines&Quot;

Did the World Health Organization (WHO) call for military forces to "round up mRNA vaccine refusers during the bird flu pandemic," as an August 2024 article claimed? No, that's not true: In an emailed statement to Lead Stories, WHO said that the article making the claim presents "flagrantly false information" since WHO has no power to mobilize military troops. The…

Did a German preprint study published in February 2024 by Christof Kuhbandner and Matthias Reitzner prove that COVID-19 vaccines caused the number of deaths per year to rise above recent trends, as several online posts and articles implied? No, that's not true: While it's true there has been a documented increase in excess mortality during the pandemic years, German health…

Do quadruple-boosted people get denied life insurance based solely on their vaccination status? No, that's not true: The American Council of Life Insurers, which is one of the major industry groups, told Lead Stories that it is not aware of the data backing up the claim, pointing out that being up-to-date on vaccines is typically seen as a positive factor.…

Did Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla "admit" on June 18, 2024, that COVID-19 was used as "a test"? No, that's not true. Pfizer Media Relations told Lead Stories that the "quote is taken out of context." Additionally, the head of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology company never used the word "test"; instead, Bourla said the pandemic was "like a rehearsal," preparing Pfizer…

Did the British Medical Journal attribute excess deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic to vaccines in a study that appeared in one of its publications? No, that's not true: In a statement on its website, the publication said, "This study does not establish any such link." The British Medical Journal also described the claim as "misreporting," adding that the researchers did…

Did the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say in May 2024 that COVID mRNA vaccines killed 500,000 children and young adults? No, that's not true: The public health agency said it has not reported any such figures. Official data and scientific consensus indicate that COVID shots are safe and effective, with adverse effects being rare and not causing mass…

Is measles vaccination proven to have caused "63 times more" deaths than measles in the United States between 2003 and 2018? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found zero credible sources confirming that. The claim that has been circulating on social media and beyond since at least 2015 manipulates the vaccine adverse effect reports, conflating coinciding events with causation that…

Did Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico "formally and publicly" reject the World Health Organization Global Pandemic Accord "only days" before an assassination attempt on May 15, 2024, as a post on X claimed? No, that's not true: The pandemic accord has not been finalized, a World Health Organization spokesperson told Lead Stories on May 15, 2024. Although Fico had voiced…

Did the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony feature a "figure of death holding a NEEDLE"? No, that's not true: The "figure of death" was actually a puppet of Lord Voldemort, the villain from the "Harry Potter" book series. Lord Voldemort is holding a magic wand, not a needle. Lead Stories could not find any evidence that the London Olympics had…

Did Japan declare a state of emergency over a purported increase in cancer deaths linked to COVID-19 vaccines? No, that's not true: No government websites in Japan or credible news organizations published anything about the purported "emergency" in 2024. The article that made the claim failed to cite any corroborating sources. The claim originated from an article (archived here) published…