Does Vermont, with its nation-leading vaccination rate, also have the highest rate of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents? No, that's not true: Vermont ranks first in vaccination rates and 49th in rate of COVID cases. The claim has circulated on social media, including in this December 2, 2021, Facebook video (archived here) posted to the Charlie Kirk account under the…

Did Merriam-Webster change the definition of "anti-vaxxer" during the COVID-19 pandemic to include a section about opposing vaccine mandates? No, that's not true: The section discussing opposition to vaccine mandates has been included in the Merriam-Webster definition of "anti-vaxxer" since at least 2018. The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) on December 7, 2021. It included a screenshot…

Does hydroxychloroquine work as a vaccine against COVID-19? No, that's not true: The Food & Drug Administration and the World Health Organization don't recommend the drug, which is used to treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, for the treatment of COVID. The claim appears in a video posted to Rumble (archived here) on November 14, 2021, titled "NOVEMBER 13, 2021…

Does a Mayo Clinic-trained pathologist explain how COVID-19 vaccine "spike proteins" are "killing you"? No, that's not true: mRNA COVID vaccines teach the body to make the distinctive spike proteins, which the immune system quickly identifies, attacks and destroys because it recognizes them as not part of the human body, thus preparing itself to ward off COVID if the patient…

Did Merriam-Webster change its definition of "vaccine" and remove a previous portion that mentioned "immunity" due to the controversy over COVID-19 vaccines? No, that's not true: Although Merriam-Webster did update its long-held definition of "vaccine," the portion alluding to immunity was not removed, it was reworded. Contrary to what is claimed, COVID vaccines are used, by medical professionals, to build…

Does Pfizer "admit" that people given its COVID-19 vaccine "shed" spike proteins and infect unvaccinated people? No, that's not true. The claim is based on the standard clinical study protocol used for a wide range of medicines. There is no publicly available evidence the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines cause vaccinated persons to cast off excess spike proteins. The mRNA vaccines teach…

Does the first episode of "COVIDLAND" prove its claims that hospitals were not taxed by COVID-19 caseloads, death statistics were inflated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and that the PCR test is unable to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus accurately? No, that's not true: Each of these claims, woven into the theory that a global cabal faked a…

Did the Supreme Court in the U.S. rule that the COVID-19 "pathogen is not a vaccine", is unsafe and "must be avoided at all costs," and has the court canceled "the universal vax"? No, that's not true: The United States Supreme Court has not issued a ruling regarding COVID-19 vaccines, according to the court's published opinions. The claim appeared as…

Are the tweets replicating a Florida emergency room doctor's lament over rising Delta variant cases all part of a pro-vaccine propaganda campaign? No, that's not true: Several replicas appear to be part of a gaslighting ploy by anti-vaccine activists seeking to discredit news of rising hospital loads. Dr. Sam Ghali's tweet was turned into a meme that anti-vaccine and COVID-minimizing…

Does Australian legislation that classifies the COVID-19 vaccine as a "poison" mean that the shot is toxic or harmful? No, that's not true: It's a matter of semantics. Medicines and vaccines are normally classified as poisons under the "Poisons Standard" in Australia, but only in the sense that they can cause harm if taken incorrectly or in the wrong amounts.…