Category: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
My 6-Year-Old Son Died. Then the Anti-vaxxers Found Out.
The Atlantic Opponents of COVID vaccines terrorize grieving families on social media. My 6-year-old boy died in January. We lost him after a household accident, one likely brought on by a rare cerebral-swelling condition. Paramedics got his heart beating, but it was too late to save his brain. I could hold his hand, look at the […]
Mar 28, 2023
Why One Woman’s Family Began Drinking Bleach
Bloomberg Prognosis Anna was just home from her first year of college when her parents introduced her to a new health fad that they had learned about at church. It was called Miracle Mineral Solution. And taking it was a lot like taking your vitamins. It could prevent (and cure) a host of illnesses. In […]
Mar 14, 2023
Stella Immanuel Highest U.S. Prescriber of Ivermectin and HCQ
(MedPageToday) Stella Immanuel, MD, was the nation’s top prescriber of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin over the past 2 years, a MedPage Today analysis of prescription data has found. In 2021, Immanuel wrote just over 69,000 prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine — vastly above the average of 43 prescriptions in the database MedPage Today reviewed. Rheumatologists, who prescribe hydroxychloroquine for autoimmune diseases, wrote […]
Mar 14, 2023
New Idaho Bill Would Criminalize Anyone Administering Covid-19 mRNA Vaccines
(Forbes) If two Idaho state lawmakers get their way, it would become a criminal misdemeanor to administer a Covid-19 mRNA vaccine in Idaho. Yep, you heard that correctly. State Senator Tammy Nichols and State Representative Judy Boyle, both Republicans, have co-sponsored House Bill (HB) 154 for Idaho, otherwise known as the “Gem State.” Yeah, this bill is […]
Feb 21, 2023
Memes, Tweets, Snark Are the FDA’s New Public Health Weapons
(Bloomberg) FDA commissioner has made social media a key part of outreach. Agency aims to counter misinformation without amplifying it. When Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during a National Football League game in January, dozens of Twitter trolls quickly blamed it on Covid-19 shots. “Snake-oil salesmen” seized on the event, said Food and Drug Administration Commissioner […]
Feb 14, 2023
What Socioeconomic Consequences Has COVID-19 Misinformation Had in Canada?
(MedScape) Health and science misinformation has had serious socioeconomic consequences in Canada, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the Council of Canadian Academies. In 2021 alone, misinformation that promoted vaccine hesitancy resulted in higher numbers of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths — and approximately $300 million in additional healthcare costs.
Feb 7, 2023
How A ‘Thanks Pfizer’ Covid Misinformation Meme Went Viral
(Forbes) False claims that Covid-19 vaccines cause spasms have gone viral on social media, with many users — even language education company Duolingo — making an even more viral joke out of the misinformation. Anti-vaxxers are spreading videos on social media of people appearing to seize or spasm, falsely claiming these to be Covid-19 vaccine […]
Jan 31, 2023
Utah Plastic Surgeon Sold Fake Covid-19 Vaccine Cards for $50, U.S. Says
(NYT) Dr. Michael Kirk Moore and three of his associates were indicted this month in a scheme that federal prosecutors said lasted from May 2021 to September 2022. A Utah plastic surgeon and three associates were charged recently with selling fake Covid-19 vaccine cards for $50 apiece in a scheme that lasted more than a […]
Jan 24, 2023
Conspiracy Theories Prompt Top Finnish Health Authority to Quit Twitter
(Bloomberg) The rampant spread of conspiracy theories on Twitter has pushed Finland’s top health authority to stop using the platform to disseminate its public-health messages. A lack of proper tools on the social media site means the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare is unable to effectively weed out false and deliberately misleading information, as […]
Jan 17, 2023