Vaccine Autism

Is the U.S. government planning to force Americans to take vaccinations during the coronavirus pandemic with the help of Bill Gates? No, there is no proof for that: A video from InfoWars has gone viral, asking if viewers were going to "allow your government to impose forced vaccinations?" The video tapped into history to suggest the government's response to COVID-19…

Were Maryland Board of Physicians officials forced to pay millions for humiliating an anti-vaccine doctor? No, that's not true: The story being shared contains outdated information. An intermediate appellate court in Maryland has overturned the $2.5 million judgment against the Maryland Board of Physicians and staff who had disclosed private medical information about an anti-vaccine doctor. The story originated in…

Do high doses of Vitamin C dramatically slow or stop the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus? No, that's not true: There is no known cure for the virus that to date has infected more than 24,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. The story appears to have originated with a press release from the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service that…

Did billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates help fund a patent for the Wuhan coronavirus? No, that's not true: The Pirbright Institute addressed the conspiracy theories and said the patents involve infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) only, and the Gates Foundation did not fund that work. The claim originated from an article (archived here) published by Natural News on January…

Did the entire European Union vote to ban all single-use plastics by 2021? No, that's not true: this article is misleading, taking out of context the very BBC story to which it links. The EU's Parliament did pass the Single-Use Plastics Directive, which bans only products for which alternatives exist. The ban applies to only the top 10 single-use plastics…

Was global warming data faked by the U.S. government to fit climate change fictions? No, that's not true: When scientists with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) modernized the way daily temperatures recorded in every nook and cranny of the United States were charted, it triggered cries of fraud and conspiracy by those who argue global warming is a hoax.…

Do flu vaccines contain 25,000 times more mercury than is legally allowed in drinking water? No, that's not true: Some flu vaccines do contain a trace amount of the organic compound Thimerosal, whch is 50-percent mercury. Thimerosal, used as a preservative only in multi-dose vials, breaks down in the body as ethyl mercury, which is removed from the body and…

Did a scientific study conclude that vitamin D supplements are more effective than flu vaccines in preventing influenza? No, that's not true: Stories making the claim cite reviews and studies that concluded there are significant benefits from maintaining a good level of Vitamin D in your system for the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections (such as colds), but only…

Is ADHD is a fake disease invented by Big Pharma to drug children for profit? No, that's not true: While there may be examples of misdiagnoses of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, scientific evidence shows it is real and that many patients can be helped with drug therapies. An article makes the bizarre claim that hunting and fishing statistics in Arkansas…

Did courts "quietly confirm" that the MMR vaccine, which protects children against measles, mumps, and rubella, causes autism? No, that's not true: Court cases cited in articles falsely making the claim concluded with damage awards for encephalitis blamed on vaccinations, and not for autism. These misleading reports also cite research from Andrew Wakefield, a doctor who lost his medical license…