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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center
SciCheck’s COVID-19/Vaccination Project

Hank Aaron’s Death Attributed to Natural Causes

Hank Aaron’s Death Attributed to Natural Causes

Baseball legend Henry “Hank” Aaron died from natural causes, according to the medical examiner’s office in Fulton County, Georgia. There’s no evidence that his death was a result of being vaccinated against COVID-19 in early January, as multiple posts on social media suggested.

What Do the New Coronavirus Variants Mean for the Pandemic?

What Do the New Coronavirus Variants Mean for the Pandemic?

Q: What are the risks of the newly identified coronavirus variants?
A: It’s not yet known whether mutant versions cause more severe disease, but some are likely more contagious. Scientists expect vaccines will work but are monitoring the situation.

A Guide to Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine

A Guide to Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine

Moderna’s mRNA vaccine is the second COVID-19 vaccine to be authorized and fully approved for use in the U.S. Here, we give a rundown of basic facts about the vaccine and an overview of how it works.

Anti-Vaccine Posts Use Deceptively Edited Video Clip

Anti-Vaccine Posts Use Deceptively Edited Video Clip

Social media pages that share anti-vaccine messages have used a selectively edited news clip that suggests the COVID-19 vaccine is unsafe. The clip shows a nurse fainting after she gets the vaccine, but it doesn’t show her quick recovery afterward when she explains that she is prone to fainting when triggered by even a slight pain.

Q&A on COVID-19 Vaccines

Q&A on COVID-19 Vaccines

Three COVID-19 vaccines are now authorized in the U.S. In this story, we answer some common questions about the shots.

Alabama Officials Debunk False Claim of COVID-19 Vaccine Death

Alabama Officials Debunk False Claim of COVID-19 Vaccine Death

A false claim that an unidentified nurse died after getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Alabama has been feeding into the anti-vaccine disinformation online. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported that no one who has received the vaccine has died.

Instagram Post Distorts Facts on COVID-19 Death Reporting

Instagram Post Distorts Facts on COVID-19 Death Reporting

An Instagram post falsely claims that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting all pneumonia and influenza deaths as caused by COVID-19. That’s wrong and is based on a misreading of one type of monitoring the agency conducts.

COVID-19 Vaccines Don’t Have Patient-Tracking Devices

COVID-19 Vaccines Don’t Have Patient-Tracking Devices

A video circulating on social media falsely claims that vaccines for COVID-19 have a microchip that “tracks the location of the patient.” The chip, which is not currently in use, would be attached to the end of a plastic vial and provide information only about the vaccine dose. It cannot track people.