Claim reviews
Cases of Bell’s palsy and death observed during Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine clinical trials were within expected background range of general population
CLAIM
COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer and BioNTech caused Bell’s palsy and deaths
SOURCE: Anonymous, Facebook, Health and Money News
Published: 11 Dec 2020
VERDICT
COVID-19 vaccine candidates show high efficacy and a safe profile in clinical trials, contrary to claims in viral video
CLAIM
“The COVID-19 pandemic is not a real medical pandemic”; “The COVID-19 vaccine is not proven safe or effective”
SOURCE: World Doctors Alliance, BrandNewTube
Published: 10 Dec 2020
VERDICT
There is no risk of infertility from COVID-19 vaccines due to cross-reactivity with placenta proteins, as SARS-CoV-2 and placenta proteins are different
CLAIM
“Covid Vaccine is Female Sterilization”; SARS-CoV-2 vaccines may trigger an immune response against the placenta.
SOURCE: Anonymous, Health and Money News
Published: 10 Dec 2020
VERDICT
Study on vaccinated and unvaccinated children used a dubious metric for comparing disease incidence in both groups
CLAIM
“vaccinated children appear to be significantly less healthy than the unvaccinated”
SOURCE: James Lyons-Weiler, Paul Thomas, Collective Evolution, Children’s Health Defense
Published: 10 Dec 2020
VERDICT
Polio vaccine plays a critical role in eradicating polio; polio is caused by a virus, not by DDT
CLAIM
“Did vaccines get rid of polio? The answer is NO!”
SOURCE: Rizza Islam, Ty Bollinger, Instagram
Published: 06 Dec 2020
VERDICT
Dozens of clinical trials ongoing to investigate whether vitamin D prevents COVID-19; no firm evidence yet
CLAIM
“Vitamin D insufficiency [...] may account for the majority of COVID-19 deaths”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 04 Dec 2020
VERDICT
COVID-19 vaccine candidates are rigorously tested for safety during clinical trials, unlike thalidomide; misleading to equate the two
CLAIM
“Thalidomide was a rapid approved drug introduced in 1957 to counteract nausea and insomnia in pregnant women. It was [...] withdrawn in 1962 due to malformations in newborns [...] Be very careful with what’s coming.”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook, Twitter
Published: 04 Dec 2020
VERDICT
More deaths occurred in 2020 than in previous years; Johns Hopkins student article compared proportion of deaths per age group, which can obscure changes in raw numbers
CLAIM
“Johns Hopkins study mysteriously disappears after it revealed, in spite of COVID, no more deaths in 2020 than in prior years”
SOURCE: Joe Hoft, Michael Haynes, Gateway Pundit, LifeSiteNews
Published: 30 Nov 2020
VERDICT
No evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause more severe disease; antibody-dependent enhancement has not been observed in clinical trials
CLAIM
COVID-19 vaccines will cause more severe disease through antibody-dependent enhancement
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 27 Nov 2020
VERDICT
Face masks, handwashing, and vaccination do not weaken the immune system, and are effective measures to reduce the spread of infectious diseases
CLAIM
Public health measures aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 including face masks, vaccines, and frequent handwashing “suppress our immune systems”
SOURCE: Anonymous, Instagram
Published: 26 Nov 2020
VERDICT
