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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Flu Vaccine Ingredients Are Safe, Contrary to a Misleading Meme

Flu Vaccine Ingredients Are Safe, Contrary to a Misleading Meme

Influenza vaccines contain small amounts of various ingredients that allow them to work and keep them safe and long-lasting. A misleading meme suggestively lists more than two dozen substances it claims are in flu vaccines. But most are not present — and the ones that are aren’t dangerous.

No Proven Health Risks from Aspartame, But Also No Proven Benefits

No Proven Health Risks from Aspartame, But Also No Proven Benefits

Some research indicates possible negative effects from aspartame, but there’s no definitive evidence linking it to health problems in the general population. Aspartame is safe when consumed within certain limits, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The daily limit is above the amount people typically ingest.

Video: Hearst on Updated COVID-19 Vaccines

Video: Hearst on Updated COVID-19 Vaccines

Hearst Television, one of our media partners, produced this segment of “Get the Facts” partly based on our Q&A article on the updated COVID-19 vaccines.

Posts Push Unproven ‘Spike Protein Detoxification’ Regimen

Posts Push Unproven ‘Spike Protein Detoxification’ Regimen

Serious side effects after COVID-19 vaccination are rare, and there isn’t evidence people need to undergo a “spike protein detoxification” regimen after getting vaccinated, contrary to claims made online. Nor has such a regimen been shown to help people recover from long COVID, or long-term health problems after having COVID-19.

Flu Shots, MMR Vaccines Have Saved Millions of Lives, Contrary to Online Claim

Flu Shots, MMR Vaccines Have Saved Millions of Lives, Contrary to Online Claim

Flu shots and vaccines that protect children against measles, mumps and rubella have been effective in preventing illness, serious disease and death. But a meme has been circulating with the false suggestion that those vaccines are ineffective. Actually, they’ve saved millions of lives and have eliminated both measles and rubella in the U.S.

Ramaswamy’s Climate Change Spin

Ramaswamy’s Climate Change Spin

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a self-professed “unapologetic proponent of greater use of fossil fuels,” has repeatedly cited false or misleading statistics to downplay the risks of climate change.

WHO Director-General Is Vaccinated Against COVID-19, Contrary to Online Post

WHO Director-General Is Vaccinated Against COVID-19, Contrary to Online Post

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, is an advocate for equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines in countries around the globe. But a social media post misleadingly claims, “Tedros says he isnt vaccinated.” Tedros shared a tweet on May 12, 2021 showing himself receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

Q&A on the Updated COVID-19 Vaccines

Q&A on the Updated COVID-19 Vaccines

Updated COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out in the U.S., aimed at targeting the latest, prevalent variants of the disease. Here we answer common questions about the latest vaccines.

Video Falsely Claims 850 People Died of Myocarditis in Mexico

Video Falsely Claims 850 People Died of Myocarditis in Mexico

Cases of myocarditis have been reported following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, but they are rare and usually mild. Yet, a viral video distorts news reports to falsely claim 850 people died in Monterrey, Mexico, in June due to myocarditis. The figure comes from a false report of heat-related deaths.

COVID-19 Vaccines Have Not Been Shown to Cause ‘Turbo Cancer’

COVID-19 Vaccines Have Not Been Shown to Cause ‘Turbo Cancer’

People with cancer are particularly vulnerable to severe disease and death from COVID-19. Vaccines provide needed protection. It has not been shown that COVID-19 vaccines cause or accelerate cancer. Nor does a recent paper about a mouse that died of lymphoma “prove” that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine induced “turbo cancer,” contrary to social media claims.