Several prominent vaccine opponents posted false claims about bird flu online, in both English and Spanish. Some of the false claims include that there’s been a possible “artificial introduction of H5N1 bird flu into farming operations and food.” Other claims resurfaced conspiracy theories about a “plandemic,” casting suspicion on...
Vaccine opponents, posting in both English and Spanish, are sharing images of a Japan protest against the World Health Organization’s pandemic treaty, resurfacing conspiracy theories about the pandemic and falsely claiming that the treaty means that countries will lose sovereignty and freedom. Recommendation: False claims about the World Health...
Old false narratives have re-emerged in recent weeks as vaccine opponents raise objections to vaccines of all kinds. Some policymakers are using fears about emerging mRNA technology to score political points, while anti-vaccine advocates attempt to undermine the safety of childhood vaccines that have been in use for decades. Meanwhile,...
This week Arizona's Supreme Court voted to uphold a law from 1864 that bans all abortions, with no exceptions for rape or incest, unless the pregnant person’s life is threatened. The ruling makes abortion a felony punishable by two to five years in prison for anyone who...
A new Florida law will make it a felony to expose first responders to fentanyl or other chemically similar drugs when the exposure results in physical harm. Experts from American College of Medical Toxicology and American Academy of Clinical Toxicology said this law will create an “unnecessary concern,” as the...
This week two viral social media posts claimed that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a widely used type of antidepressant, lead to violent behavior. One post included a video of Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. attributing mass shootings to SSRI prescriptions and video games. Another suggested that taking SSRIs contributed to...
West Virginia’s governor vetoed a bill that would have eliminated vaccine requirements in public virtual schools and allowed private and parochial schools to set their own standards. Some social media users are criticizing the governor for disregarding those affected by alleged vaccine injuries and claiming that the government should...
A California-based nonprofit committed to “protecting medical freedom” is raising money to file a lawsuit challenging barriers to medical vaccine exemptions in the state. The group shared their fundraising goal on social media, where some commenters are voicing support for the lawsuit. Recommendation: While these types of posts primarily circulate...
After a rare human case of H5N1 avian flu, or “bird flu,” was discovered in Texas, the New York Post published an article claiming that bird flu is “100 times worse” than COVID-19. In response to the article, some social media users are falsely claiming that this human case of...
Several recent social media posts are linking deaths in the Midwest to COVID-19 vaccines without evidence. One post claims that a woman died of “turbo cancer” caused by COVID-19 vaccines, and another equates university vaccine mandates with homicide. Recommendation: These types of posts promote false claims about COVID-19 vaccine safety...