Facebook Twitter Tumblr Close Skip to main content
A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Ongoing Clinical Trials Will Decide Whether (or Not) Ivermectin Is Safe, Effective for COVID-19

Ongoing Clinical Trials Will Decide Whether (or Not) Ivermectin Is Safe, Effective for COVID-19
September 16, 2021

Studies on whether ivermectin is beneficial in treating COVID-19 patients haven’t been conclusive, and health officials have warned people not to self-medicate. But multiple large trials are continuing to assess the antiparasitic drug. Yet, Sen. Rand Paul reportedly said researchers were “unwilling to objectively study” it because of “hatred” for Donald Trump. He later acknowledged studies are being done. Here we review the research.

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

Experts: No Link Between COVID-19 Vaccines and Erectile Dysfunction
September 16, 2021

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.

No One Pushed ‘Button’ to Prevent Biden from Speaking

No One Pushed ‘Button’ to Prevent Biden from Speaking
September 15, 2021

There was nothing unusual about the end of a routine press “pool spray” before a private meeting between fire officials and President Joe Biden in Idaho. But conservatives have falsely claimed the video shows someone cut off Biden’s microphone, for fear he was veering off-script.

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

Q&A on Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine-or-Test Rule
September 10, 2021

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
September 10, 2021

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.

CDC: No Warning Issued for Acute Flaccid Myelitis in 2021

CDC: No Warning Issued for Acute Flaccid Myelitis in 2021
September 9, 2021

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking outbreaks of acute flaccid myelitis — a serious condition mainly affecting children — since 2014. The CDC hasn’t seen a reason for concern this year, but Facebook posts have wrongly claimed that the agency has issued a “warning of polio-like outbreak” this fall. The claim seems to have originated from an outdated news article.

Schumer Falsely Claims ‘All’ Americans Got Out of Afghanistan

Schumer Falsely Claims ‘All’ Americans Got Out of Afghanistan
September 7, 2021

A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has conceded that the New York Democrat falsely claimed that “all” Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan “have come out.” Government officials say that fewer than 100 U.S. citizens, and an unknown number of U.S. legal permanent residents, who want to leave Afghanistan are still in the country.

Biden’s Controversial COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Plan

Biden’s Controversial COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Plan
September 3, 2021

The Biden administration announced that third shots of the two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines would be available to healthy people starting in mid-September. But many scientists say it’s not yet clear that boosters are needed.

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

Instagram Post Missing Context About Israeli Study on COVID-19 Natural Immunity
September 2, 2021

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.