Fact Check-Headline that claims Denmark has banned COVID-19 vaccines for children is misleading https://www.reuters.com/article/fac...ines-for-children-is-misleading-idUSL1N2ZS0J8
Fact Check-Taiwan deaths following vaccination do not represent deaths directly tied to vaccines, and are far outnumbered by COVID-19 fatalities https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-taiwan-covidvaccine-deaths-idUSL1N2ZO18C
Fact Check-Anthony Fauci did not call children ‘test subjects’ in an MSNBC interview https://www.reuters.com/article/fac...-subjects-in-an-msnbc-interview-idUSL1N2ZS0XQ
Yes... over the past week we had an endless feed once again of anti-vax Covid-denier bullshiat circling the globe on social media. Here's yet another debunking of the recent nonsense -- of course some of it is being reposted by clowns on ET. WHO Director-General is vaccinated against COVID-19 https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/f...m-ghebreyesus-vaccinated-vs-against-covid-19/ COVID-19 vaccines do not contain a dormant Marburg virus https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/covid-19-vaccines-do-not-contain-dormant-marburg-virus/ No, the WHO director was not arrested for crimes against humanity https://namibiafactcheck.org.na/rep...was-not-arrested-for-crimes-against-humanity/
Let's fact check the latest Covid-denier nonsense being pushed by demented anti-vaxxers. Fact Check-Study of Thai teenagers did not find one third experienced heart effects after COVID vaccination https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-heart-teens-vaccine-idUSL1N2ZT2B5 A study of 301 teens in Thailand found mild and temporary heart rhythm changes after a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine among one in six teenagers, not one-third as social media posts claim. The study also saw possible signs of heart inflammation in just seven of those teens with rhythm changes and confirmed myocarditis in only one of the seven. Social media users are circulating the study of post-vaccination heart effects in Thai teenagers with the claim that a third of participants experienced heart effects, and the suggestion that the results indicate a new danger level for children. These posts are missing context: the study’s authors concluded, “We found the risk of these symptoms to be not as low as reported elsewhere, but in all cases, symptoms were mild with full recovery within 14 days.” A Twitter post shared more than 11,000 times (here) contains a link to the preprint study by Suyanee Mansanguan of Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital in Bangkok and colleagues, with the comment, “BREAKING: A new study has found cardiovascular adverse effects in around a third of teens following Pfizer vaccination, and heart inflammation in one in 43, raising fresh concerns about the risks of vaccination for young people. This is beyond concerning.” Similar versions of the post on Facebook can be seen (here) (here) (here) (here). The original tweet garnered responses that include comments suggesting the study is a new cause for concern, such as “I am so worried about my teen-aged-children finding a healthy life partner in the future. My understanding is that ~61% of kids ages 12-17y.o. are (sorry for putting it bluntly) damaged goods now” (here) and “Makes me so angry that my very healthy son, a college athlete, was required to get this vaccine, or not continue his collegiate career” (here). Mansanguan and colleagues note in their draft study, released as a preprint on Aug. 8 (here), that they likely saw higher rates of heart rhythm disturbance and signs of inflammation than in other studies because they did tests that detected mild changes in participants with no symptoms who would not ordinarily have been screened. The analysis included 301 people aged 13-18 recruited from two Bangkok schools before receiving their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in November and December of 2021. The students were mostly male (67%) and none had “abnormal” symptoms after their first vaccine shot, the study notes. Before receiving the second vaccine shot, each participant had a physical exam, a heart ultrasound called an echocardiogram, heart rhythm measurements by electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and blood tests to look for heart-related biomarkers including Troponin-T and CK-MB, both markers of damage to heart muscle. The exam and the tests were repeated on days 3 and 7 following the second vaccine shot, and on day 14 for some of the teenagers. The participants also kept symptom diaries throughout the study period and were able to contact or visit the study team doctors at any time to ask questions or discuss unusual symptoms. Overall, 50 of the 301 students reported fever after the second vaccine shot and 35 reported headache, both common general side effects following COVID-19 vaccination. Among cardiovascular effects detected only by ECG, 54 participants (18%, so roughly one in six, not one in three as social media rates) had rapid heartrate or abnormal heart rhythm. Of these, 39 had reported symptoms such as palpitations or chest pain. Fifteen reported no symptoms at all. Among the participants with abnormal ECG, seven – all males -- also had elevated biomarkers of heart muscle injury or inflammation. Of these seven, four had reported chest discomfort or pain, but three had no symptoms other than the elevated biomarkers. All seven also had normal heart function and no sign of reduced pumping ability that can signal heart failure. One young man was admitted to the hospital intensive care unit for observation of his arrhythmia over four days, treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, and his symptoms resolved within days, with no detectable damage to his heart, according to the report. Of that patient -- the only one formally diagnosed with myocarditis -- the study authors write, “One patient with myopericarditis in our study follow-up with [cardiac MRI] at 5 months after vaccination showed complete recovery and no scar.” Although the study authors note in their paper that many of the survey participants (44%) had other underlying diseases including asthma, allergies, blood or thyroid disorders and migraine, the study does not analyze whether these conditions were associated with differences in risk for side effects or cardiovascular effects after the vaccine. The authors also note that they were unable to do baseline testing of kids prior to the first vaccine shot, which is a limitation of the study. Reuters contacted the study’s senior author for comment. The rates of heart effects or suspected heart effects detected by prospectively testing everyone in the Thai study are higher than seen in many studies that rely on voluntary reporting of possible adverse events to databases such as the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) (vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html), or studies that rely on retrospective analysis of medical records for people diagnosed with myocarditis. The Thai team confirmed one case of myocarditis (heart inflammation) in the 301 students -- not one in 43 as suggested in social media posts. The 1 in 301 myocarditis rate in the Thai study would translate to roughly 332 per 100,000. In contrast, one retrospective study in Israel (here) found that the odds of myocarditis following vaccination were nearly twice as high after the second shot than after the first. The rates were also highest among young men aged 16-19, at 13.60 per 100,000. A recent study by CDC researchers looking at data from 40 U.S. health systems found that myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination was diagnosed at a rate of 22.0–35.9 per 100,000 among males aged 12-17 (here). However, a U.S. pediatric cardiologist who reviewed the Thai study at sciencebasedmedicine.org (here) questioned whether the heart readings that the study calls abnormal really were indicative of adverse effects on the heart, especially in teenagers with no other symptoms. Abnormal ECG alone is not sufficient to diagnose myocarditis in someone without symptoms, writes Dr. Eric Han, who notes that the reader also cannot tell how abnormal any readings might have been because data from before vaccination isn’t provided for comparison. Of the different types of heart rhythm described as abnormal in the study, all but one could be considered normal in a child depending on the circumstances, Han notes. “Elevated troponin has its own causes as well, not all of which are myocarditis,” he also writes. “To the trained observer,” Han concludes, “there are no shocking findings in this study. Overall, it supports the current body of knowledge regarding COVID vaccination myocarditis.” VERDICT False. The study of teenagers in Thailand following a second COVID-19 vaccination found that 18% -- not one third -- experienced any detectable cardiac effect, and that 1 in 301, not 1 in 43, had confirmed myocarditis. A large proportion of purported abnormalities detected by testing were without symptoms, and 100% of the teens in the study fully recovered after 14 days, the authors reported.
Doctors, scientists, and other health experts warn "abortion reversal pills" are unproven and possibly dangerous, forgetting they're dealing with the same folks who fanatically believe COVID-19 can be cured with horse dewormer and prayer -- who also push vaccinations are evil. But this is the type of nonsense we have come to expect from these blithering anti-science Covid-denier idiots. The latest social media misinformation: Abortion reversal pills After Dobbs, platforms’ uneven moderation approaches let an unproven “treatment” to reverse a medication abortion spread. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/20/abortion-misinformation-social-media-00052645 Social media companies are grappling with a flood of misinformation onan unexpected topic since Roe v. Wade was overturned: Posts promoting “abortion reversal pills.” The dangerous and unproven treatment is being touted as a way for a pregnant person to halt a medication abortion before it can take effect. And while claims about these pills have existed on social media for years, they’re now skyrocketing — and getting a lot more traction with users. A POLITICO analysis of abortion-reversal content across the major social media platforms showed engagement — such as liking, reposting or commenting — increased significantly after the Dobbs decision. Facebook, for example, saw a dramatic spike of 3,500 interactions with “abortion reversal pill” content on June 24 — the day of the Supreme Court decision — up from 20 interactions on June 23, according to data compiled using CrowdTangle, a social media analysis tool. This type of content falls into a gray area in many social media platforms’ policies about how to handle misinformation — one where definitive research doesn’t exist and the level of danger is unclear. As a result, they’re struggling to find the right approach and sometimes allowing abortion-reversal content even as they block posts about how to obtain medication abortions. It’s a predicament that highlights the unique challenges facing companies from Facebook to Twitter and YouTube as they try to moderate mistruths about abortion on their sites without inserting themselves into a highly politicized debate. Misinformation researchers say the increase in abortion reversal content appears to be sowing doubt and confusion online, muddying the waters around the effectiveness of medication abortions, which pregnant people can still obtain through the mail even in states that have banned the procedure. “Mis- and disinformation is really designed to confuse you in that situation and make it more about the ideological arguments and conspiracies in a way to cloud your judgment about how easy or safe it is to access an abortion,” said Rachel Moran, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington’s Information School studying health misinformation. The posts allege that these abortion reversal treatments— which involve giving an individual progesterone after ingesting the first pill (mifepristone) in the two-pill medication abortion treatment — will stop the abortion. Websites and hotlines touting abortion reversal said progesterone is given as a pill, though it has been researched as an injection. Mifepristone blocks the flow of progesterone needed to support a pregnancy, and misoprostol causes cramping which expels the biological tissue. The National Right to Life Committee — one of largest anti-abortion-rights groups — stands behind the alleged treatment and says women deserve to know it’s an option. But the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the nation’s leading organization of reproductive health clinicians, has said the reversal treatment is not supported by science and can cause dangerous hemorrhaging. And a 2019 trial evaluating abortion reversal treatment with progesterone ended early due to three participants experiencing high levels of internal bleeding. Dr. Mary Jacobson, chief medical officer of Alpha Medical, a women’s health telemedicine group that is in the process of adding medication abortion as a service, called the progesterone treatment “an unproven and unethical idea that suggests a flawed oversimplification of how complex hormonal and neurochemical processes of a medication abortion can be manipulated.” However, to date, federal health agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention haven’t weighed in on the safety or efficacy of administering progesterone as a way to reverse a medication abortion, making it more challenging for platforms to navigate the disinformation without a federal authoritative voice to cite. An FDA spokesperson said it has not approved any abortion reversal pill products. Abortion reversal pill content is just one subset of misinformation spreading online as debates about the Dobbs decision proliferate on social media.Other false content from anti-abortion groups includes posts saying the FDA-approved medication abortion causes cancer and infertility, even though medication abortion has been proven to be safer than Tylenol.And on the abortion-rights side, individuals are spreading misinformation about at-home herbal treatments to induce abortion, which can be potentially poisonous. Overall, the largest platforms have removed more content related to potentially dangerous herbal treatments from abortion rights groups, and less content about abortion reversal treatments from anti-abortion groups, said Jenna Sherman, a program manager at Meedan’s Digital Health Lab, a global tech non-profit focused on health misinformation research. “It’s good that any posts about natural remedies for abortion are being regulated, but it’s concerning that they’re being overly regulated in comparison to anti-choice rhetoric, which is also very harmful,” she said. The largest social media platforms have taken differentapproaches to moderating the onslaught of mistruths about abortion. ByteDance’s TikTok and Google’s YouTube have instituted new policies to specifically combat content promoting unsafe abortion procedures and false claims about abortion treatments. TikTok’s medical misinformation policy prohibits content that can physical harm, and that includes abortion reversal and herbal abortion content, spokesperson Jamie Favazza said. But enforcement has been uneven. POLITICO identified videos promoting abortion reversal hotlines and alleged reversal treatment testimonials and flagged them to TikTok, which later took them down because they violated its policies, Favazza said. The company had blocked all content related to the search for “herbal abortions” earlier this year and in August blocked searches related to the search terms “abortion pill reversal” and “abortion reversal pill,” after POLITICO identified videos on the topic. However, the search term “abortion reversal” is still unblocked because it also includes content related to the overturning Roe v. Wade, Favazza said. However, the results also include videos pushing abortion reversal pill content, which TikTok removed after POLITICO flagged them. YouTube started removing videos in July that provided instructions for unsafe abortions or promoted false claims about abortion safety under its medical misinformation policies.Those included videos incorrectly claiming abortion leads to cancer or infertility. It also prohibits videos that sell pharmaceuticals without a prescription, which would include abortion reversal pills. And YouTube added “context labels” to abortion content that links to the National Library of Medicine’s description of abortion. However, YouTube allows general discussion of abortion reversal treatments. Spokesperson Ivy Choi said the company will look to CDC, NIH, and WHO if they set guidance on such alleged treatments.YouTube has also added labels to posts by pregnancy crisis centers — which counsel pregnant people against abortion and sometimes push abortion reversal pills — to note that they don’t provide abortions. Twitter allows discussion of abortion — including abortion reversal content — but is using its Twitter Moments and Events pages to promote authoritative information and dispel misleading narratives, spokesperson Elizabeth Busby said. Meta,parent company of Facebook and Instagram, bans the promotion of medical misinformation if it is shown to cause harm, along with the sale of pharmaceutical drugs. Ads promoting prescription drugs also require pre-approval (including those that cause abortions) and must come from verified pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies or telehealth providers. Still, two ads promoting an abortion pill reversal hotline from anti-abortion groups were active on Facebook asof Friday afternoon. A Facebook spokesperson said the ads were allowed since they didn’t mention a pharmaceutical drug — like progesterone — by name. Meanwhile, Plan C, an advocacy organization that provides resources on medication abortion, showed POLITICO multiple ads on how to obtain medication abortion pills that Facebook rejected. The Facebook spokesperson said the ads were blocked because the landing page of websites on the ads listed pharmaceutical abortion drugs by name. Some of the surge of abortion-reversal content online may be connected to efforts by abortion rights groups to debunk it. People’s engagement with all sort of abortion posts on social media platforms tends to increase after new restrictions on abortion go into effect, said Rachel Muller Heyndyk, a senior fact checker at the U.K. based Logically.ai. As the conversation gains momentum, content from anti-abortion groups promoting abortion reversal pills gets swept up in it. “The more we engage with it, even if it is to criticize it, the more we’ll see it on our feed,” said Muller Heyndyk. She said because Facebook isn’t deciding whether abortion reversal content is dangerous or not, “it is inadvertently rewarding those pages.” For example, the week after Texas’ six-week abortion ban went into effect last September, there were 170,000 interactions on abortion reversal pill content on Facebook compared to fewer than 200 interactions the month prior, according to CrowdTangle data. If the social media companies are waiting for more guidance from the federal government on how to treat information about abortion reversal procedures, it may be awhile. While FDA chief Robert Califf has promised to make tackling health misinformation a priority, the agency has so far put more resources into countering falsehoods on Covid-19 and monkeypox. The agency launched a new website in early August called “Rumor Control” that tackles those two diseases, but doesn’t address abortion misinformation.
Let's take a look at the recent stuff being spewed by Tucker and clowns on social media... COVID-19 Vaccination Increases Immunity, Contrary to Immune Suppression Claims The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines teach the immune system to recognize and fight the coronavirus, greatly reducing the likelihood of severe disease if a person is infected. There is no evidence the vaccines impair immunity, as some, including Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, have baselessly claimed. https://www.factcheck.org/2022/07/s...munity-contrary-to-immune-suppression-claims/
We see the anti-vax crowd trying to regularly tie the deaths of athletes, celebrities, medical personal and others to Covid vaccines. All of these claims spread widely on social media turn out to be false. Let's take a look at the latest nonsense. Fact check: Deaths of three doctors in Toronto not related to COVID-19 vaccine The claim: Post implies three Toronto doctors passed away in the same week because of the COVID-19 booster https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...accine-and-toronto-doctor-deaths/10178177002/