De-Bunked
Explained: COVID-19 vaccines are not infectious
Reuters have investigated claims that COVID-19 vaccines have been designed so that recipients can transmit their inoculations have revealed misunderstandings of how these vaccines work.
Debunked: No UK nations or regions reported zero cases of Covid on 29 April
FullFact have checked a the data behind a map in the print version of the Daily Express on 30 April and conclude that it provides a misleading picture of the current state of the pandemic in the UK, with the numbers of case totals found to be incorrect.
Debunked: Stanford Study does not show that face masks are ineffective and dangerous
Politifact from the Poynter Institute has found that Stanford University has no connection with a Medical Hypotheses journal article, written by an exercise physiologist who isn’t affiliated with Stanford, that makes debunked claims about mask wearing and COVID-19.
Fact-Checked: Ivermectin and Covid-19
In recent months there has been a lot of debate about the drug Ivermectin and how it could be used to treat or prevent Covid-19. FullFact have checked the facts.
Explained: How misinformation has changed in Ireland over the past year
From WhatsApp messages to conspiracy theories, this episode of The Explainer podcast explores how misinformation has changed in Ireland.
Debunked: No, Travellers were not protesting outside a Dublin Pfizer plant for access to the Covid-19 vaccine
The Journal has debunked a claim circulating on whatsapp that a group of Travellers was protesting outside a Dublin Pfizer facility and refusing to leave until they got the Covid-19 vaccine.
Found false: Claims that rapper DMX suffered a heart attack after getting Covid-19 vaccine are unproven
PolitiFact rated this claim false because of a lack of evidence connecting a vaccine to the death of the rapper.
Fact-Checked: Covid-19 vaccinations, fertility and pregnancy
FactCheckNI has investigated theories about the Covid19 vaccinations and pregnancy.
Debunked: Video does not show Belgian Health Minister faking his vaccination
A video circulating online along with claims that Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke faked his vaccination has been debunked by Reuters.
Found false: Data does not show a link between the increase in reported deaths and the recent introduction of COVID-19 vaccines.
Politifact has fact-checked and found false a claim that data on the VAERS database shows a sharp rise in deaths reported in connection with the Covid19 vaccine.
Check the Facts
There are many factchecking websites and organisations working hard to help you identify what is accurate and reliable and what is not.
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FactCheck from The Journal.ie is Ireland’s only verified signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network Code of Principles, with commitments to non-partisanship, fairness, and transparency
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FactCheckNI is Northern Ireland’s only verified signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network Code of Principles, with commitments to non-partisanship, fairness, and transparency.
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The Poynter Institute also supports fact-checking in a number of ways, including the Politifact website, the Corona Virus Fact Alliance and the Corona Virus Facts Database.
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The International Fact Checking Network is a unit of the Poynter Institute dedicated to bringing together fact-checkers worldwide by promoting best practices and exchanges in this field, underpinned by a code of principles.
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The MediaWise Teen Fact-Checking Network (TFCN) publishes daily fact-checks for teenagers, by teenagers and is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network’s code of principles.
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Full Fact is a team of independent fact checkers and campaigners who find, expose and counter the harm that misinformation does
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Snopes is the oldest and largest fact-checking site online and labels stories as ‘True’, ‘Mostly, ‘True’, ‘Mixture’, ‘Mostly False’ or ‘False’.
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iHealthFacts is a Galway-based team doing science-heavy factchecks on COVID-19
Data Platforms
Interrogate the data for yourself.
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The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control provides situation updates for Europe
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The Health Protection and Surveillance Centre provides Ireland-specific updates on COVID-19
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The COVID-19 Data Hub is the official hub for COVID-19 statistics in Ireland
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COVID-NMA is an international research initiative supported by the WHO and Cochrane. It shows all current trials and studies around COVID-19.