Midwest

The Kenosha County, Wisconsin Board of Supervisors approved a policy that prevents the county’s health officer from imposing lockdowns and mask and vaccine mandates during future public health crises. The policy states that the county will not use its resources voluntarily to support state or federal mandates, complying only...

Two individuals have died from the flu in Indiana, according to the Indiana Department of Health. The department has urged residents to get vaccinated against influenza, highlighting that there were more than 270 deaths in the previous flu season. The announcement sparked a social media debate on the efficacy and...

A retracted study of COVID-19 vaccines has resurfaced online. This occurred in the wake of reports that the study’s author had been cleared after an investigation into his research practices. The study had estimated vaccine-related deaths as high as 278,000 in the U.S., but it was later...

The Michigan Senate has passed Senate Bill 410. This bill would repeal Michigan's law granting drug manufacturers broad immunity from product liability claims if their products are approved by the FDA. Michigan is currently the only state with such a law, which has shielded pharmaceutical companies from liability claims. Social...

Measles cases have emerged in Wisconsin and Illinois, drawing prompt responses from health officials. Some social media posts attribute the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases to vaccine opponents’ denial of widely accepted public health practices, while others attribute the outbreak to immigration. Some social media posts falsely equated measles with chickenpox,...

A so-called health freedom group in Michigan has falsely claimed that the only people who need the hepatitis B vaccine are sex workers and people who use intravenous drugs. The group argues that children do not need the vaccine, even though children can contract hepatitis B by putting infected items...

North Dakota State Senator Doug Larsen died in a plane crash on October 1, along with his wife and two children. The crash occurred shortly after takeoff and is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Despite the ongoing investigation, vaccine opponents on social media speculate that the senator’...

October has been designated as Vaccine Injury Awareness Month by many vaccine opponents. A group in Michigan is promoting its fourth annual Vaccine Injury Awareness Walk on October 7 in Waterford. The group’s website also features several stories about people who believe that they or their loved ones have...

A physician from Iowa known for opposing COVID-19 vaccines and promoting the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 is suing a Missouri hospital over its staff vaccination requirements. In 2021, the hospital mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for staff, and the doctor’s request for religious exemption was denied. The lawsuit alleges...