Were 1 in every 25 clients of Germany's largest health insurer, Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), treated for side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021? No, that's not true: Only one of the four diagnosis codes (ICD) for billing health insurers used to come up with the ratio was specific to COVID vaccination. Two of the other three codes could pertain…

Is it fact that viruses have never been isolated and there is no measles virus? No, that's not true: Scientists first isolated a virus in the 1890s. And a Persian doctor published written accounts about measles disease in the late 800s. In 1912, measles became a "nationally notifiable disease" in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control…

Did a study find potentially disease-causing bacteria and fungi on face masks? Yes, that's true, but the study's authors only made one recommendation based on their findings and that was for immunocompromised people to avoid repeated use of masks to prevent infections. In an email to Lead Stories, study author Ah-Mee Park, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology…

Did COVID vaccine trials skip animal testing and go straight to people because all the animals were dying? No, that's not true: In an email to Lead Stories, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said, "The claim is completely false. All authorized and approved COVID-19 vaccines underwent animal studies." The claim appeared in an Instagram post and video on…

Do COVID-19 vaccines create "engineered biostructures" inside human arteries? No, that's not true: There's no evidence that happens. In an email to Lead Stories, Dr. John R. Su with the Immunization Safety Office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, the "CDC is unaware of any evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause the human body to create 'engineered…

Are disposable COVID-19 testing swabs that have been sterilized using ethylene oxide (EO) gas considered carcinogenic and dangerous when used daily? No, that's not true: Only minuscule amounts of EO remain after processing. Matthew J. Arduino, a senior adviser for the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told Lead Stories, "Cancer is…

Did three doctors in Canada die after receiving a fourth COVID-19 shot? No, that's not true: There's no evidence any of the men were boosted a second time, but, if they were, there's also no evidence that the vaccinations caused their deaths. At least two of the doctors died from cancer, and the third had been "seriously ill" leading up…

Did the U.S. military find wasp venom in COVID-19 vaccines for children? No, that's not true: As of July 28, 2022, only Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were approved for people 17 and under in the United States. Neither of them includes the venom of the tarantula hawk wasp, as a published claim states. U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson Lisa Lawrence…

Did British ethologist and conservationist Jane Goodall suggest that the world population be "reduced" less than two months before the first COVID-19 lockdown in New York City? No, that's not true: She never said or implied it while speaking at one of the 2020 World Economic Forum panels in mid-January of 2020. The claim originated in an Instagram post on…

Is getting a virus and acquiring natural immunity the "best thing you can do for your body," rather than getting a vaccine? No, that's not true: The only way vaccines get Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval is if they provide protection against illness and death associated with natural infection while presenting a proportionally very low risk of adverse events.…

Are gyms locked down and are people forced to wear masks to stop the spread of monkeypox? No, that's not true: There have been no federal government orders as of July 27, 2022, for gyms to be closed or mask mandated to stop the spread of monkeypox. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does recommend that people who…

Is Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau being investigated for genocide by Interpol? No, that's not true: As of July 26, 2022, the International Criminal Police Organization made no announcement regarding Trudeau being a suspect. The article that made the claim was published on a satirical website and did not provide any evidence. The claim appeared in an article titled "Interpol:…

Is Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates being investigated by Interpol for the "plandemic"? No, that's not true: On July 26, 2022, the International Criminal Police Organization website did not contain any mentions of such an investigation. Additionally, the website that published the report says it offers "no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness" and produces satirical stories, not news. The claim appeared…

Do COVID-19 vaccines suppress the human immune system? No, that's not true: There is nothing to suggest that COVID shots have that sort of impact on the body's defenses. "There is no clinical or epidemiological evidence that COVID vaccines generally suppress or weaken the immune system," Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at…

Does this video show Delta Air Lines pilots protesting against the COVID-19 vaccine? No, that's not true: This video shows Delta pilots picketing at an airport to demand higher pay. The picket was unrelated to the COVID vaccination. The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) posted on July 3, 2022. The video showed pilots walking in a straight…

Did the U.S. military find scopolamine in COVID-19 vaccines for children? No, that's not true: As of July 22, 2022, only Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were approved for people 17 and under in the United States. Neither of them includes the anti-nausea medication. In a phone interview the same day, a U.S. Department of Defense official told Lead Stories, "This…

Is there a global recall of all COVID-19 vaccines? No, that's not true: There is no evidence of global public health agencies pulling their support for and endorsement of vaccinations to protect against SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus disease) and its variants. The World Health Organization told Lead Stories, "COVID-19 vaccines are being continuously assessed for their benefits versus risks. The consistent observation…

Did "big tech media" stage a scene featuring workers wearing protective gear who were crying outside a hospital in order to frighten people? No, that's not true: This video shows a behind-the-scenes view of a dramatic production in China about the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Jin Jin, an actress based in Shanghai who played the crying woman, the scene was…

Does a purported increase in child-size casket orders at one company mean that children are dying from the COVID-19 vaccine? No, that's not true: There have been no confirmed reports of children dying from the vaccine. However, children have died from COVID. The claim was made during a segment (archived here) of the "Stew Peters Show" that was posted to…

Do fully vaccinated people account for 94 percent of COVID-19 deaths in England? Yes, that's true: However, a simple ratio analysis based on that statistic doesn't fully tell the story. A report that some of the information comes from warns on Page 45 that "Comparing case rates among vaccinated and unvaccinated populations should not be used to estimate vaccine effectiveness…