SciCheck Digest Airlines are encouraging people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine to fly once again. Yet social media posts falsely claim that airline executives around the world are discussing banning vaccinated passengers due to a risk of blood clotting at high altitudes. Experts say there is no evidence of […]
Facts Check
Post Misrepresents Details of Postmortem Study of Vaccinated Patient
SciCheck Digest A controversial radio show host and blogger misrepresented findings of a published case report to conclude that an 86-year-old man died as a result of being vaccinated against COVID-19. The case report’s lead author said the man died of bacterial pneumonia and “there was not any sign of […]
Soccer Star’s Collapse Was Unrelated to COVID-19 Vaccine
SciCheck Digest Danish soccer star Christian Eriksen is recovering well after he suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed during a match on June 12. But after the incident, social media posts falsely claimed he had recently been vaccinated for COVID-19 and suggested that led to his collapse. Team officials said he […]
Conservative Outlets Advance Unfounded Theory About Capitol Attack
Quick Take There is no evidence that “unindicted co-conspirators” mentioned in federal indictments related to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack are undercover FBI agents or informants, as conservative outlets have claimed or suggested. Legal experts and federal case law say that government agents and informants cannot be labeled conspirators to […]
Research Rebuts Claims Linking COVID-19 Vaccines to Male Infertility
SciCheck Digest A new study found there was no negative effect on sperm levels in men after receiving the COVID-19 vaccines, undercutting suggestions that the shots affect male fertility. But social media posts have made the baseless claim that vaccinated men “are effectively sterile.” How safe are the vaccines? How […]
Presidential Vetoes Rare in Unified Government
When presidents enjoy a unified government, meaning the same party controls the House, Senate and White House, they rarely veto legislation. But Republican Sen. John Barrasso left the misleading impression that it would be some sort of historic anomaly if President Joe Biden doesn’t veto a bill in this session. Barrasso predicted […]
Viral Video Misleadingly Questions Safety of Nasal Swabs
SciCheck Digest A chemical widely used to sterilize medical devices is also used for nasal swabs in COVID-19 testing. But a viral video misleadingly suggests that the swabs are dangerous — saying that the chemical causes cancer and can alter DNA. Experts say the chemical’s use in this context does […]
Posts Falsely Tie Evangelical Leader to Cannabis Product
Quick Take A viral Facebook post, which links to a webpage that misrepresents itself as a Fox News report, pushes the false story that evangelical Christian leader Charles Stanley sells CBD, a cannabis product. Stanley’s organization said the story is a “scam.” Full Story Charles Stanley is the founder and […]
FactCheck.org Wins Third Sigma Delta Chi Award
FactCheck.org has won its second consecutive Sigma Delta Chi Award for fact-checking from the Society of Professional Journalists. The announcement was made June 12. The winning submission was our 2020 story titled “Trump on the Stump.” In that piece, six staffers wrote about 46 of the false and misleading claims […]
Evidence Points to Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines for Pregnant People
SciCheck Digest Clinical trials and medical studies have indicated that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe for pregnant people. But online posts misrepresent unverified reports submitted to vaccine monitoring systems in the U.S. and Europe to misleadingly suggest “920 women” lost babies because they received COVID-19 vaccines. How safe are the […]