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How fears of parasites drive viral claims for detoxes and cleanses
2024-06-24
Removing parasites from the body is a recurring theme in health misinformation on social media. These posts misleadingly suggest that parasitic infections are a common issue and that household items can cure them. As this article will explain, there’s little to no evidence for such claims. There are many different types of parasites requiring different … Continued
Are claims linking recent U.S. trends in cancer diagnoses to COVID-19 vaccines plausible? A look at the available data
2024-03-29
Claims questioning COVID-19 vaccine safety have circulated continuously since COVID-19 vaccination campaigns began at the end of 2020. One such claim suggests that there has been an unprecedented rise in the number of cancer cases after the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, implying that the vaccines are responsible for this phenomenon. Science Feedback previously explained why this … Continued
How health problems after COVID-19 vaccination are sometimes used to feed misinformation narratives
2024-02-28
SUMMARY Three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have acquired ample evidence showing that COVID-19 vaccines are safe. While COVID-19 vaccines are associated with some serious effects like myocarditis, such cases are rare and much less likely to occur after vaccination than after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nevertheless, anecdotes and stories of ill health … Continued
“Disease X”: How pandemic preparedness talks spawned conspiracy theories online
2024-02-14
On 17 January 2024, public health experts including Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), held a roundtable titled “Preparing for Disease X” at the World Economic Forum of Davos (WEF). In light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the panel discussed what had failed in the global response to the pandemic … Continued
Variations on a theme: The evidence refuting the false claim that vaccines cause autism
2023-12-11
Introduction One of the most enduring narratives about vaccine safety is the alleged link between childhood vaccination and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A study published in 2020 showed that more than one in four parents of children with ASD believed it was caused by vaccines[1]. This belief directly impacts public health, with data showing that … Continued
What do we know about the safety of COVID-19 vaccine mRNA in breast milk?
2023-10-03
Introduction A study by Hanna et al. published in September 2023 reported the presence of mRNA from COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in the breast milk of some lactating women[1]. This study gave rise to many social media posts questioning whether vaccine mRNA in breast milk would lead to adverse health effects in breastfeeding babies. Because pregnant … Continued
Are phthalates causing a decline in male fertility?
2023-09-13
Introduction According to an estimate published by the World Health Organization in April 2023, infertility affects roughly one in six (17.5%) adults of reproductive age worldwide. Factors causing or contributing to infertility can occur before birth or develop later in life and are so varied and complex that, in many cases, a cause can’t be … Continued
Can mistletoe cure cancer?
2023-05-16
Introduction Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. In 2020, an estimated 19.3 million new cancers were diagnosed and about 10 million people died from the disease[1]. Because of the strong public interest in cancer cures, many claims of miraculous therapies are popular on the Internet. These cures are usually claimed to be better … Continued
Can you achieve a balanced diet by eating only meat? A look at the scientific evidence
2023-04-11
Introduction A diet that involves eating meat all the time sounds like a meat-lover’s dream. And you may have heard various social media influencers tout the health benefits of such a diet. Sounds like a win-win? Not so fast. As with most things in life, reality isn’t that simple. The carnivore diet consists of exclusively … Continued
What we know about the safety of mifepristone for medical abortions and the effectiveness of progesterone for “abortion reversal”
2023-02-24
Introduction The World Health Organization considers access to safe and affordable abortion services as important for the good health and well-being of women and girls. Unsafe abortion methods contribute to a significant portion of maternal deaths, and this is particularly evident in places where abortion is legally restricted. However, the development of medical abortion, a … Continued