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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Social Media Post on Use of Ivermectin for Refugees Lacks Context

Social Media Post on Use of Ivermectin for Refugees Lacks Context

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of ivermectin as a treatment for arriving refugees to treat parasitic infections. But a social media post by Dr. Simone Gold, a proponent of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19, references the CDC guidance without accurately explaining the reason why refugees are given the drug. The CDC has warned against using ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19.

Experts: No Link Between COVID-19 Vaccines and Erectile Dysfunction

Experts: No Link Between COVID-19 Vaccines and Erectile Dysfunction

Public health officials around the world have explained that erectile dysfunction is not a side effect of COVID-19 vaccines, but a viral tweet from rapper Nicki Minaj has spread the unfounded claim that it is. There is no evidence to support that claim.

Q&A on Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine-or-Test Rule

Q&A on Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine-or-Test Rule

Here we answer some questions about President Joe Biden’s plan to impose an emergency rule for businesses with 100 or more employees that would require workers to be fully vaccinated or be tested at least once a week.

Social Media Posts Mislead on COVID-19 Vaccines, Deaths in Afghanistan

Social Media Posts Mislead on COVID-19 Vaccines, Deaths in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has implemented a COVID-19 vaccination program and, although administration of vaccines has slowed due to internal armed conflicts, the program is still underway. But some prominent conservative purveyors of misinformation in the U.S. have made false claims about vaccination efforts and the impact of the pandemic in Afghanistan.

Instagram Post Missing Context About Israeli Study on COVID-19 Natural Immunity

Instagram Post Missing Context About Israeli Study on COVID-19 Natural Immunity

An Instagram post highlighted a headline about a non-peer-reviewed study from Israel that found that unvaccinated people previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 had greater immunity against the delta variant than never-infected people fully vaccinated with Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine. But the social media post omitted the study’s other finding that one dose of the vaccine enhanced protection for infection survivors.

Researcher Distorts Facts on COVID-19 Vaccine Approval, Liability

Researcher Distorts Facts on COVID-19 Vaccine Approval, Liability

The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration, though an emergency use authorization also remains in place. Dr. Robert Malone misleadingly said Americans are being offered the shot only under the latter and that it carried different liability ramifications. The liability protections, afforded under a public health law, are the same for the two.

Health Sensors Misconstrued as Government Tracking ‘Microchips’

Health Sensors Misconstrued as Government Tracking ‘Microchips’

A digital device company is developing gel sensors that would monitor the wearer’s health and could potentially help to detect future outbreaks of disease. But conspiracy theorists are falsely claiming that the sensors are actually COVID-19-detecting microchips that will be used to track people’s movements.

Chiropractor Again Peddles False, Misleading COVID-19 Claims

Chiropractor Again Peddles False, Misleading COVID-19 Claims

The delta variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is more transmissible than previous forms of the virus, and has helped spur an increase in cases, including in children. But a chiropractor in a Facebook video wrongly claims that “it is not showing more of a problem.” That’s one of several misleading and false claims he makes about COVID-19.

Charlie Kirk Misleads on White House Vaccine Policy

Charlie Kirk Misleads on White House Vaccine Policy

Federal employees — including at the White House — must attest to being vaccinated against COVID-19, or else comply with routine testing and mitigation measures. But conservative commentator Charlie Kirk claims that the “White House staff is not required to be vaccinated,” baselessly questioning if undisclosed concerns about the vaccines are at play.