Category: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
Board Restricts Doctor’s License Over COVID Misinfo
MedPage Today The Medical Commission in Washington state has restricted the license of Idaho pathologist Ryan Cole, MD. In an order dated January 4 the commission concluded that Cole spread misinformation related to COVID-19 and failed to meet the standard of care for a number of patients during the pandemic. As a result, the commission restricted Cole from […]
Jan 16, 2024
Behind the Birth of an Anti-Vaccine Story
New York Times A 24-year-old’s sudden death devastated his family — and caught the attention of the movement of vaccine opponents. Before he received his second shot of a Covid-19 vaccine, there was little reason to think that George Watts Jr. was about to die. He was 24 and showed no obvious health problems. His […]
Jan 2, 2024
Scammers Are Tricking Anti-Vaxxers Into Buying Bogus Medical Documents
Wired On Telegram, scammers are impersonating doctors to sell fake Covid-19 vaccination certificates and other products, showing how criminals are taking advantage of conspiracy theories. Kristina Collins didn’t know her photo was being used on Telegram. Over the past few months, an Instagram picture of Collins, a Texas-based doctor and dermatologist, has been used by scammers on […]
Dec 19, 2023
‘Medical Freedom’ Activists Take Aim at New Target: Childhood Vaccine Mandates
NYT Mississippi has long had high childhood immunization rates, but a federal judge has ordered the state to allow parents to opt out on religious grounds. For more than 40 years, Mississippi had one of the strictest school vaccination requirements in the nation, and its high childhood immunization rates have been a source of pride. […]
Dec 5, 2023
NPR Each morning, Stephanie Nichols gathers her second graders around a table to eat breakfast and start their day. As the kids unpack their knapsacks and settle into the classroom, Nichols likes to listen more than she speaks. Breakfast table conversation can be about anything – from video games to the New England Patriots. But […]
Nov 8, 2023
Matthew Perry Deserved Better Than #DiedSuddenly
Wired IT DIDN’T TAKE long for news of actor Matthew Perry’s death to go public. TMZ broke the story so early that paparazzi had already camped out to photograph the Friends star’s grieving parents as they arrived on the scene. The vulturous routines of the celebrity death news complex are, at this point, predictable. Tabloids compete for 911 […]
Oct 31, 2023
This Is How the FDA Plans to Fight Health Misinformation
Bloomberg Another challenge for the FDA is to get the public to trust what they’re saying in the first place. Hi, it’s Fiona in New York. A much-anticipated report on how the FDA can combat misinformation was published earlier this month. More on that later… Pre-bunking vs. de-bunking Health misinformation is as old as medicine […]
Oct 17, 2023
Vaccine Scientist Warns Antiscience Conspiracies Have Become a Deadly, Organized Movement
Scientific American Peter Hotez is no stranger to scientific backlash. The esteemed pediatrician and vaccinologist has been working to develop vaccines for neglected tropical diseases for decades and has encountered fierce opposition to his work. But in recent years the backlash has gained momentum and spread beyond vaccines to science and scientists in general. Hotez, […]
Oct 10, 2023
Anti-Vaxxers Think an Emergency Phone Alert Will Cause a Zombie Apocalypse
Rolling Stone The latest paranoia to grip online fringe communities is about FEMA supposedly sending harmful 5G signals to your phone. “IS THERE A Zombie Apocalypse activated by 5G towers on the way?!?!” wrote the QAnon influencer behind a Telegram channel called The Patriot Voice, which is followed by more than 50,000 people, in a post shared at […]
Oct 3, 2023
Spouting COVID Misinformation Tied to Use of Ivermectin, HCQ
MedPageToday And survey study finds similar usage of unproven drugs for COVID among Democrats and Republicans. Endorsing COVID-19 vaccine misinformation, lack of trust in physicians or scientists, and conspiracy-mindedness were linked to the use of non-evidence-based treatments for COVID-19, an internet-based survey study of U.S. adults showed. Of more than 13,000 survey respondents who reported […]
Oct 3, 2023