Covid-19 Vaccine

Did Russian President Vladimir Putin say at a "military press conference in Russia" that the U.S. was planning to launch a second pandemic "aimed at disrupting the 2024 election" domestically? No, that's not true: Neither a viral AI-generated article making the claim nor earlier pieces speculating about it offered any proof that Putin actually said that. Lead Stories searched both…

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…

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…

Did Tennessee prohibit the inclusion of vaccines in the food supply? No, that's not true: The proposed law, Tennessee House Bill 1894, was awaiting Gov. Bill Lee's signature as of April 8, 2024, and would consider any food containing vaccine or vaccine-related ingredients as a drug. It wouldn't ban the sale of such foods, which are not currently on the…

Does a video shared on Instagram show what happens when a person is "injected" with a vaccination, thus offering evidence for detoxification supplements? No, that's not true: The video originally was posted to YouTube in 2014 by a creator who describes his videos as being for "science fiction work, personal work and play." According to the description on the 2014…

Did Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg make remarks about how racism went into design choices after the Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed in Baltimore on March 26, 2024? No, that's not true: The video clip in a social media post dates back to a November 9, 2021, White House daily briefing. Buttigieg's 2021 remarks were a response to a direct question…