REVIEW Facebook posts appearing in October 2021 claimed that eye ointment containing an antibiotic called erythromycin, which is routinely given to newborns to prevent “pink eye” (prophylaxis), comes with many “dangerous side effects”. These
Search Results (131) for: infants
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Eye Ointment For Newborns Is NOT ‘Pointless,’ NOT Associated With Serious Risks
Is the eye ointment administered to newborns and commonly used to prevent a condition caused by the transmission of gonorrhea "pointless" and associated with serious health risks? No, that's not true: The erythromycin eye ointment provide
Full Fact→ GP’s article overstates the number of Covid-19 deaths in children
An opinion article in the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP) which claims “we’ve lost at least 133 children to Covid in the UK so far” has been shared on Facebook, and shared widely on Twitter, including by the Independent SAG
Truth or Fiction?→ Jabar Gibson Hurricane Katrina Rescuer Meme
On February 1 2022, the following meme was shared to Imgur, describing the actions of a man identified as “Jabbar Gibson” in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: That image was clearly a screenshot, and it appeared to show a cropp
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: There are NOT 22 Million Undocumented Immigrants In US — But Some Can Vote in Some Cities, Receive Some Benefits
Do 22 million illegal immigrants live in the United States, receive public benefits and vote illegally? No, that's mostly false: Two experts in public policy told Lead Stories that the number of illegal immigrants in the United States is
Snopes→ Extra Cash for Low-Income Mothers May Influence Baby Brains
New research suggests giving extra cash to low-income mothers can change their infants’ brain development.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: 79.4% Of Babies Who Died Of SIDS Did NOT Have A Vaccine The Same Day
Did nearly 80% of the babies who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) have a vaccine the same day? No, that's not true. The number appears to come from misinterpreted materials from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: mRNA Vaccines Do NOT Change DNA Or Cause Birth Defects
Can an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine given to a woman cause changes in the DNA of a baby she is carrying and result in a "mutant baby" born with extra limbs or other deformities? No, that's not true: The mRNA in COVID vaccines does not enter the
Snopes→ RECALL: Boppy Pulls 3.3M ‘Newborn Loungers’ After 8 Infant Deaths
Between 2015 and 2020, eight infants reportedly suffocated after being placed on one of three varieties of Boppy "newborn loungers."
Full Fact→ Covid vaccines aren’t comparable to thalidomide scandal
An Instagram post which includes photos of children born with birth defects, appears to compare the thalidomide scandal with the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme. While it doesn’t mention Covid-19 vaccines explicitly, text at the to
Health Feedback→ Multiple scientific studies suggest that masking can help limit transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in schools, contrary to claim in Federalist article
REVIEW It’s back to school season in the U.S. and with rising COVID-19 case numbers, including among children too young to receive the COVID-19 vaccines, American schools have become battlegrounds over disagreements about preventative measures. Ma
The Dispatch→ Did the FDA Approve a Drug That Caused Birth Defects?
Following the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to grant full approval to the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine—the vaccine had previously been distributed under emergency provisions—comparisons were made on social media to the FDAR
Full Fact→ How long should you wait between vaccines if you’re pregnant?
We’ve been asked on WhatsApp how long pregnant women should wait between getting their routine vaccines in pregnancy, and getting a Covid-19 vaccine. The guidance from NHS England is to wait seven days between the Covid vaccine and any other vacc
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Polio and Smallpox Never Reached Herd Immunity; They Were Eradicated by Vaccines’
On July 20 2021, a Facebook account shared the following image text, which contained the claim that polio and smallpox “never reached herd immunity”: Text across a nature-like background read: I don’t know who needs to hear this but
Snopes→ Cold Weather Virus in Summer Baffles Docs, Worries Parents
RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cause of cold-like symptoms but can be serious for infants and the elderly.
FactCheck.org→ COVID-19 Vaccine-Generated Spike Protein is Safe, Contrary to Viral Claims
SciDigest Hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered safely in the United States in the last six months. There is no evidence to indicate that the spike proteins generated by human cells following vaccination are a toxin or t
Full Fact→ NHS says you should perform rescue breaths on children who aren’t breathing
Following the collapse of footballer Christian Eriksen during a recent Euro 2020 match between Denmark and Finland, social media users have been sharing information on how to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), a potentially life saving interv
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: There Is NOT Guidance That Women Cannot Bear Children Within Six Months Of COVID-19 Vaccine
Did a director of China's largest baby formula company, Feihe, reveal information about the COVID-19 vaccine and pregnancy, saying many women cannot bear children within six months of receiving a coronavirus vaccination and that he expect
FactCheck.org→ Understanding Pennsylvania’s Proposed Bill on Handling Fetal Remains
Q: Did Pennsylvania lawmakers vote to “fine” women who miscarry? A: No. But a bill proposes to mandate that health care providers bury or cremate fetal remains, regardless of when or how the pregnancy ends. Experts say such requirements
Health Feedback→ COVID-19 vaccines were tested in animals and clinical trials before receiving authorization; vaccinated people aren’t dying at a higher rate than unvaccinated people
REVIEW Video clips of a Texas Senate Committee meeting on 6 May 2021 showing an exchange on COVID-19 vaccine safety between U.S. Senator Bob Hall and pediatrician Angelina Farella, went viral on multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, I
FactCheck.org→ No Scientific Basis for Vaccine ‘Shedding’ Claims
SciCheck Digest COVID-19 vaccines do not contain a live virus, so there isn’t a biological path for a vaccinated person to “shed” the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to those around them. Nor is there any evidence the vaccines cause reproductive problem
Health Feedback→ Vaccines do provide immunity and can be used to achieve herd immunity
REVIEW As COVID-19 vaccination campaigns move forward in a number of countries, journalists, healthcare professionals and scientists have raised the questions of when a country can expect to reach herd immunity and if they are close to reaching it.
Full Fact→ Covid-19 child vaccine trial paused over clot concerns, not cot death
A post on Facebook has claimed that: “In Oxford, researchers have started testing the AstraZeneca vaccine in children…Those experiments with children have now stopped. There have been severe side effects...such as SIDS...Some children have
Health Feedback→ COVID-19 vaccines were developed in record time due to scientists’ good understanding of similar coronaviruses and unprecedented investments from companies and governments
REVIEW Vaccines for COVID-19 became available to the public less than a year after the virus was first detected, much faster than any other vaccine development in history. Some social media users have used the speed of development to imply that COVID-
Health Feedback→ Not all coronaviruses are seasonal, contrary to pathologist Ryan Cole’s claim; COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing illness
REVIEW On 4 March 2021, pathologist Ryan Cole gave a speech to lawmakers at the Idaho State Capitol Building. Cole made several claims about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines, several of which were previously debunked by fact-checkers. His speech w
FactCheck.org→ Viral Posts Misuse VAERS Data to Make False Claims About COVID-19 Vaccines
SciCheck Digest Social media posts repeatedly misuse unverified data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System to falsely claim that COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous, and even lethal. But the government database is not designed to determine if vac
Health Feedback→ Both viruses and bacteria cause disease; pathogenic viruses aren’t naturally created in the body as a response to damage
REVIEW In March 2021, a series of Facebook posts (see examples here, here, and here) discussing what viruses are and if viruses and bacteria can cause diseases were posted by chiropractor Melissa Sell. The posts made a number of inaccurate and misle
Health Feedback→ Oxygen in the air doesn’t prevent people from getting tetanus through cuts with dirty or rusty objects; the vaccine is important to prevent infection
REVIEW On 7 March 2021, a video discussing the causes and consequences of tetanus was posted on Facebook by chiropractor Steven Baker, who runs the Facebook page named “Dr. Baker2.0”. The video makes several claims that are inaccurate or
Health Feedback→ Yes, COVID-19 vaccines will help us safely resume normal activities like going to restaurants and meeting people, once enough people are vaccinated for herd immunity
REVIEW Facebook posts purporting to look at “facts” about the COVID-19 vaccines called into question the purpose of the vaccines (see example). Based on one version, the text may have originated from a Telegram group named “Corona Investigativ
FactCheck.org→ A Guide to Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Vaccine
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the third COVID-19 vaccine to be authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. Here, we give a rundown of basic facts about the vaccine and an overview of how it works. Quick Summary Vaccine name: Ad26.COV2.S Desi
Health Feedback→ COVID-19 vaccines don’t increase the incidence of poor outcomes during pregnancy, according to current safety data on COVID-19 vaccines
REVIEW Facebook posts claiming that the COVID-19 vaccine caused a healthcare worker to have a miscarriage went viral in early February 2021. These posts (see example) show a photo of a healthcare worker receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and tweets by phy
AFP Fact Check→ Vitamin K shots for newborns prevent potentially deadly bleeding
Misleading claims about the purported dangers of a vitamin K shot being given to babies are circulating across social media. But the injection of the essential vitamin, which aids in clotting, has been tested for safety, and is recommended by pediatric
FactCheck.org→ Viral Video Makes False and Unsupported Claims About Vaccines
Quick Take A viral video makes a series of inaccurate and unfounded arguments for why people should not receive any vaccines, including those for COVID-19. Full Story As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the globe, anti-vaccination activists try t
Health Feedback→ Overwhelming weight of scientific evidence demonstrates that vaccines are safe and effective, contrary to claims in video by chiropractor Steve Baker
REVIEW On 13 January 2021, the chiropractor Steven Baker posted this video on Facebook, titled “the top five reasons to not vaccinate”. The 15-minute long video contains several claims regarding vaccine safety which have been debunked many times
Health Feedback→ Vaccines protect people from diseases, but don’t always prevent disease transmission; research ongoing to determine if COVID-19 vaccines stop transmission
REVIEW A YouTube live stream recorded on 5 January 2020, featured David Martin, who claimed that the COVID-19 RNA vaccines are not vaccines because they don’t fulfill the definitions of a vaccine according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control a
Health Feedback→ The U.S. National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act does not stop people from suing vaccine manufacturers
REVIEW A video recording of a 14 December 2020 event showed Rizza Islam and members of the group America’s Frontline Doctors purportedly confirming the “dangers of the COVID-19 vaccine.” Both parties have propagated health misinformation in th
Health Feedback→ Study on vaccinated and unvaccinated children used a dubious metric for comparing disease incidence in both groups
REVIEW The claim that unvaccinated children are healthier than vaccinated children is common in vaccine-skeptic and anti-vaccine circles. The claim was recently revived on Facebook after a study was published on 22 November 2020 in the International
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Head Of Pfizer Research Did NOT Say COVID Vaccine is Female Sterilization
Did the head of Pfizer research say the COVID vaccine is female sterilization? No, that's not true: This clickbait headline doubles up on false claims. The person the claim refers to is Michael Yeadon, who nearly a decade ago held a high
Health Feedback→ Polio vaccine plays a critical role in eradicating polio; polio is caused by a virus, not by DDT
REVIEW An Instagram post containing a video, published on 2 December 2020, received more than 35,000 views. The post claims that vaccines did not get rid of polio and, “between 1955–1963 [the] CDC admits 98 million Americans received the polio v
Health Feedback→ No evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause more severe disease; antibody-dependent enhancement has not been observed in clinical trials
SUMMARY A Facebook post claiming that the COVID-19 vaccine will lead to more severe disease, was published in November 2020 and went viral on the social media platform. Similar claims have also been published in other social media posts, like this o