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

‘WHO Has No Authority to Dictate U.S. Health Policy’

‘WHO Has No Authority to Dictate U.S. Health Policy’

The World Health Organization can make recommendations after the declaration of a global emergency, but it has no control over any nation’s decisions. Yet conservatives in the U.S. falsely claim that amendments proposed by the Biden administration to existing global health regulations, and a new WHO pandemic treaty, will threaten U.S. sovereignty. 

Navarro Falsely Links Fauci to Pandemic Origin

Navarro Falsely Links Fauci to Pandemic Origin

The U.S. indirectly funded some bat coronavirus research at a lab in Wuhan, China. But those experiments could not have led to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, because the viruses used were very different. Yet former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro repeated a false claim that Dr. Anthony Fauci “killed a lot of people” by funding the lab.

Red Cross Accepts Blood Donations From People Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Red Cross Accepts Blood Donations From People Vaccinated Against COVID-19

The American Red Cross and other blood collectors in the U.S. strongly encourage everyone who is feeling healthy to donate blood, including people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine. But a social media post falsely implies the organization does not use the blood from vaccinated people. 

COVID-19 Is Caused by a Virus, Not Snake Venom

COVID-19 Is Caused by a Virus, Not Snake Venom

The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by a novel coronavirus, first isolated in January 2020. But a viral video has been spreading a conspiracy theory that the pandemic has actually been a plot to poison people with snake venom.

COVID-19 Vaccines Reduce Hospitalization and Death Rates, Contrary to Social Media Claims

COVID-19 Vaccines Reduce Hospitalization and Death Rates, Contrary to Social Media Claims

Those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 are more prone to serious illness and are dying at higher rates than those who are vaccinated. But partisan social media accounts, including a post by a member of former President Donald Trump’s campaign legal team, continue to misleadingly suggest the vaccines are unnecessary and discourage their use.

Q&A on Second COVID-19 Boosters for Older People

Q&A on Second COVID-19 Boosters for Older People

At the end of March, the Food and Drug Administration authorized a second COVID-19 booster dose for people 50 years of age and older. But the data supporting the extra shot is limited. Here, we break down the available evidence and share what scientists recommend.