Covid-19 Vaccine

Does a government health poster list "heart attacks," "strokes" and "sudden death" as side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine, as shown in an Instagram post? No, that's not true: It is counterfeit. Though it was made to look like official Irish government health circulars, the Irish government never published a poster listing those as side effects. Additionally, there is no…

Do COVID-19 vaccines contain the Marburg virus, a severe and often fatal illness in humans? No, that's not true: Each vaccine has its unique formulation, but none include the Marburg virus. The disease is rare, usually found in Africa after a person comes in contact with an infected bat, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told Lead Stories.…

Is there evidence health care providers are using lidocaine to secretly inject people with vaccines without the person's knowledge, as is suggested in a social media post by an anti-vaccine activist? No, that's not true: The suggestion is made in the "just asking questions" mode in which allegations are framed as questions to inject falsehood into public discussion. In this…

Do vaccinated people emit Media Access Control addresses? No, that's not true: A professor of electrical and computer engineering told Lead Stories that the MAC addresses shown in social media posts and videos were "bluetooth technology" coming from phones and other devices like earbuds etc. The Food and Drug Administration has debunked the claim that microscopic technology is in vaccines.…

Can lipid-based supplements reverse the effects of COVID-19 vaccines by "communicating with the gene code"? No, that's not true: Two medical specialists told Lead Stories the claim is not grounded in facts. The Instagram account that made the claim promoted drops made by an unknown manufacturer. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Instagram on January 24, 2024.…

Did German scientists uncover evidence that Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine batches in the European Union included placebos? No, that's not true: Germany's federal institute for vaccines and biomedicines and Pfizer said all batches are tested and certified. They do not include placebos. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Instagram by holistichealthandmore on January 20, 2024, under the title…

Does a meeting about "Disease X" at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, prove the existence of some sinister plan to start a pandemic intentionally? No, that's not true: The panel discussion to be led by the World Health Organization's director general can be viewed online. The planned agenda is a discussion of preparedness for the next pandemic, not…

Did the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG) place journalist Mehdi Hasan under arrest on January 7, 2024, for committing treason? No, that's not true: Hasan has been active on his verified social media accounts since the date of the purported arrest, with no mention of being arrested. Also, the website where this claim was made publishes fabricated content.…

Did COVID-19 vaccines kill 17 million people around the world during the pandemic? No, that's not true: Infectious disease experts told Lead Stories that the surge in deaths correlates with surges in coronavirus infections, not vaccination campaigns. The overwhelming majority of adverse events reported after vaccination are mild and temporary, and the benefits of vaccination in preventing severe illness and…

Does New Zealand health data prove that 20 percent of vaccinated citizens died after COVID-19 vaccination? No, that's not true: The agency wrote, "We assure people there is no evidence whatsoever that vaccination is responsible for excess mortality in New Zealand and that they can continue to have confidence in vaccines." Two experts that Lead Stories spoke with independently confirmed…