Introduction In September 2024, multiple social media posts began appearing on Instagram, claiming that vaccination caused a 23-year-old woman named Alexis Lorenze to become severely ill. These posts commonly included graphic photos of Lorenze’s facial bruising and swelling. Several of these posts can be traced to accounts with large followings that previously spread health misinformation, … Continued
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological disorder that usually becomes apparent in early childhood. It affects an individual’s ability to behave, interact, and communicate with others. Although the causes of ASD remain elusive at this time, medical and epidemiological studies have shown that vaccines don’t cause ASD. The prevalence of ASD may differ between groups of different wealth and race in the U.S. However, because evidence shows us that vaccines don’t cause ASD, a correlation between ASD prevalence and vaccine coverage is simply coincidental rather than an indication of a causal relationship.
Flu viruses mutate constantly, making it necessary for new flu vaccines to be developed every year. Flu vaccine effectiveness heavily depends on how well the vaccine targets circulating flu viruses during the flu season. Data from multiple flu seasons show that the vaccine is generally effective at reducing flu-related risks and protecting people at a greater risk of flu-related complications., which is particularly critical for groups at a higher risk of flu-related complications, such as young children and pregnant women.
InfoWars founder Alex Jones was court-ordered to pay nearly 1.5 billion dollars in damages to the families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting. This lawsuit is unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic. Health and justice authorities asked Jones to cease selling unproven COVID-19 remedies on his website.
The World Health Organization declared mpox to be a public health emergency in mid-August 2024. This declaration was made in response to a rising number of cases and the discovery of a new and more virulent variant of mpox virus. At the time of writing, the virus had spread in several African countries and one case had been registered in Europe.
Patents are often filed by individuals or groups to protect an invention. This prevents the invention from being commercially exploited by others without the patent owner’s consent. However, a patent can also be filed for products of nature like viruses and for other reasons apart from restricting the use of an invention. For example, public health agencies like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention patent viruses to keep samples accessible to researchers, preventing a single party from monopolizing samples and restricting research efforts.
Many types of cancer produce solid tumors that are primarily made up of cancer cells, which are cells that multiply uncontrollably due to mutations. These tumors also contain blood vessels that carry nutrients and oxygen to the cancer cells, as well as other cells that support the growth of cancer cells. Biopsies and mammograms are useful tools for early cancer detection, but also carry certain risks that should be evaluated for each patient. However, they don’t cause cancer.
Ivermectin is an attractive cancer drug candidate as it’s inexpensive and already clinically approved, albeit for parasitic infections. Some preclinical studies have indeed found promising results using ivermectin, but these studies were done in cell cultures and animals, not in humans. As such, they cannot provide sufficient evidence that ivermectin helps treat cancer in people. Further studies are needed to reliably determine ivermectin’s effectiveness and safety when used to treat cancer in humans.
Vaccines stimulate immunity to infectious diseases with the purpose of reducing the risk of disease transmission, severe illness, and death. By this measure, COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are indeed vaccines. Evidence from clinical trials and real-world data show that they reduce the risk of infection, serious illness, and death from COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed shortcomings in pandemic preparedness and response in countries around the world. In December 2021, WHO Member States established and are leading a process to write a pandemic accord to address these shortcomings and improve pandemic prevention and preparedness. Contrary to popular claims online, the accord affirms national sovereignty and the right of each country to enact its own health policies.
