Vaccination

Does a homemade concoction made of boiled citrus fruits, root vegetables and herbs prevent COVID-19? No, that's not true: An infectious disease expert told Lead Stories that "there's absolutely no evidence that this will work," and there is no verified scientific study confirming the effectiveness of such a mixture in preventing a person from contracting the virus. He recommended that…

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…

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…

Did an RSV "vaccine" cause "12 deaths during clinical trials," as a post on Instagram suggested? No, that's not true: None of the 15 deaths of thousands of children in three key clinical trials were deemed to be caused by the drug. The Food and Drug Administration, AstraZeneca and an infectious disease expert all independently confirmed these results to Lead…

Do recommended childhood vaccinations increase the risk of ear infections in those they're intended to protect? No, that's not true: Infectious disease experts told Lead Stories that vaccinations, such as those for diseases like influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia, can help prevent certain infections that may lead to ear infections. Vaccines do not increase the risk of ear infections in children.…

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.…

Instead of being largely eradicated worldwide, has polio just been renamed acute flaccid myelitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome to hide its existence? No, that's not true: Polio is a viral infection caused by the poliovirus. Acute flaccid myelitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome are rare and distinct neurological conditions with different causes. The claim appeared in a post and video (archived here) on…

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 the vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella cause measles? No, that's not true: The claim on social media ignored basic principles of how these vaccines work. It failed to distinguish between potentially deadly strains of the virus and its weakened version, used in the shots to help healthy populations build immunity against this disease. The claim appeared in a…

Is meningitis proven to occur frequently after the administration of seven U.S. vaccines? No, that's not true: According to the Institute of Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, most vaccines from the list on an Instagram post are not known to be linked to meningitis. Varicella and measles vaccines "very rarely" cause this condition. An image shared…