In messages reworded from earlier debunked claims from the start of the pandemic, messages proliferating in Irish closed social media groups are spreading rumours of fraudsters calling people claiming to be from the HSE and asking for bank details after proving personal information. While this is cause for concern, the more likely scenario involves fraudsters
Claims attributed to a virologist and conspiracy theorist that the COVID-19 vaccine has created new variants of the disease have been spreading online. Most of the COVID-19 variants emerged before the widespread distribution of vaccines, which inhibit the spread of viruses and thus limit their chances to evolve into new variants. This claim has been
A social media user has made claims that since receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine his body has been connecting with Bluetooth devices. The video purports that his phone connects with a device called “AstraZeneca_ChAdOx1-S”; the names of Bluetooth devices are easily changed by users and microchips are too large to pass through needles. The claim has
False claims that multiple forms of insurance policies in Ireland will be ‘null and void’ for people who receive the COVID-19 vaccine are circulating in a new video, echoing similar claims previously debunked by The Journal. Read the full article at The Journal
Anti-vaccine activists are sharing a video purporting to link routine childhood vaccinations to epilepsy, casting doubt on the COVID-19 vaccines. The AP has debunked the claim. Read the full article at The Associated Press
Some social media users are spreading the false claim that the British government has repealed the Genocide Act as a step toward attacking its own people. In reality, the Genocide Act was repealed in 2001 and replaced with the International Criminal Court Act, which also prohibits genocide. This claim was debunked by Reuters. Read the full
The Journal debunks claims that information about suspected reactions to the Covid-19 vaccinations is being hidden and shows where to go to find this information in Ireland and the UK. Read the full article at The Journal
Anti-vaccine websites have shared a false story about a two-year-old baby who died during Pfizer’s COVID vaccine trials on children. The photo of the baby associated with the article has been shared widely on social media. The story was debunked by Reuters.
Anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists are sharing videos showing people placing magnets on their arms to prove the conspiracy that the vaccine contains a microchip. The videos show people placing a magnet on the arm where they had their jab. The story has been debunked by Snopes. Read the full article at Snopes
Despite claims by anti-lockdown activists, Darkness Into Light is not cancelled and will be going ahead on 8 May with Covid social distance guidelines being followed as reported by TheJournal.ie.