Cancer

Is the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine "contaminated" with a type of DNA that causes permanent genetic changes in vaccinated people or leads to death due to cardiac arrest? No, that's not true: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Lead Stories that residual DNA found in Pfizer's COVID shot has produced "no safety concerns." Additionally, an infectious disease expert said…

Does a video of a non-laboratory test using the T-Square brand oral fluid drug test prove that Red Bull energy drink contains the drugs buprenorphine and cocaine? No, that's not true: There is no way to confirm that the people featured in a video shared on social media used the drug test correctly and used an uncontaminated cup to hold…

Is a "potato poultice" a proven effective treatment for tissue inflammation? No, that's not true: Though potatoes contain certain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, Lead Stories found no evidence that externally applied potato poultices are scientifically proven to treat inflammation. A nutrition expert confirmed to Lead Stories that most accounts describing potato poultices are outdated and anecdotal. The claim originated in…

Did a "survey" find that COVID-19 vaccines "killed 3.5X more Americans than COVID virus"? No, that's not true: A medical professional who treats patients of long COVID told Lead Stories that the so-called survey "lacked scientific rigor" and could not be extrapolated to the broader public -- it was not scientifically sound and included methodological flaws. The claim originated in…

Is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "required to take the COVID vaccines off the market" as of October 21, 2023? No, that's not true: COVID-19 vaccines are not being taken off the market by the FDA as of this writing. All vaccines that were available in October 2023 had a reassuring safety profile, and health experts point to statistics…

Does an article published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and featured in a video on social media prove that vaccination causes a greater prevalence of childhood illnesses? No, that's not true: Journal editors retracted the study because its "conclusions were not supported by strong scientific data." Additionally, the consensus in the scientific and medical communities…

Does Canadian government data show that people double-vaccinated for COVID-19 have lost 74% of their "immune system capability," and that those who are triple-vaccinated have lost 73%? No, that's not true: The Public Health Agency of Canada told Lead Stories, "These claims are false." Additionally, there is no publicly available credible Canadian government data or scientific evidence to support such…

Does a photo of Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman -- the 2023 Nobel Prize laureates in physiology -- that shows them wearing face masks demonstrate that they do not trust "their own 'innovation'" in the field of mRNA vaccine development? No, that's not true: An image shared on social media was taken more than a year prior to the announcement…

Did a study by the University of Seattle and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center discover that women harvest and store in their brain DNA from every man they've ever made love with? No, that's not true: The headline on an article grossly misrepresents the findings from a study that did find male DNA (a phenomenon called microchimerism) in 63…

Are cancers appearing in "ways never before seen" following vaccination for COVID-19? No, that's not true: There is no scientific evidence to suggest that COVID vaccines cause or lead to the development of cancer in unprecedented ways. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also stated, "There are no data that suggest that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer, lead…