Aaron Bernstein

Associate Director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment

The Science Feedback team

ARTICLE REVIEWS

CNN article accurately reports an increased risk of heart attack from cannabis use in young people, but lacks context on difference between absolute and relative risk

in CNN, by Megan Marples

— 21 Sep 2021

"Yes, it’s true that the data suggest a “doubling” of risk for cardiac problems in cannabis users, but the article confuses “absolute” risk and “relative” risk. Those..

CLAIM REVIEWS

Viral videos on Facebook promote unproven cancer cures; no evidence that pharmaceutical companies and the U.S. FDA are hiding the cure for cancer

CLAIM
Turmeric, ketogenic diet, ozone therapy, megadoses of vitamin C and adaptogens are cure for cancer, have been suppressed for four decades

SOURCE: Social media users, Facebook

Published: 24 Dec 2022

VERDICT

Laura Braden’s comments questioning the safety and usefulness of childhood vaccines are unfounded; studies show that the hepatitis B and HPV vaccines are safe

CLAIM
Vaccines and vitamin K injections given to children are unsafe

SOURCE: Laura Braden, Rumble, Instagram

Published: 25 Nov 2022

VERDICT

Little clinical evidence supports the use of high-dose intravenous vitamin C to treat cancer

CLAIM
Intravenous vitamin C specifically kills only cancer cells and not healthy cells

SOURCE: Social media users, Facebook, TikTok

Published: 11 Oct 2022

VERDICT

Little clinical evidence supports the use of papaya seeds to treat intestinal parasites

CLAIM
“Papaya seeds contain compounds that naturally kill parasites”

SOURCE: Social media users, Facebook, TikTok

Published: 29 Sep 2022

VERDICT

No clinical evidence supports using cannabis to treat cancer or other conditions, although specific chemicals found in cannabis can be medically useful

CLAIM
Cannabis can treat cancer, PTSD, seizures, anxiety, glaucoma, and depression

SOURCE: Drug Possession Laws, Facebook

Published: 09 Sep 2022

VERDICT

No evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause “fibrous lung clots”, contrary to claim by Jane Ruby

CLAIM
COVID-19 vaccines cause fibrous clots in the lungs and blood vessels

SOURCE: Jane Ruby, Dr. Jane Ruby Show

Published: 01 May 2022

VERDICT

Clinical trials showed that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is safe; its side effects are mostly mild

CLAIM
80% of people taking the Moderna vaccine had significant side effects; children in Sudan got polio from the polio vaccine

SOURCE: Joe Rogan, The Joe Rogan Experience

Published: 26 Mar 2021

VERDICT

Oxygen in the air doesn’t prevent people from getting tetanus through cuts with dirty or rusty objects; the vaccine is important to prevent infection

CLAIM
“The tetanus bacteria is an anaerobic bacteria. That means that it cannot live in the presence of oxygen. You cannot get tetanus by stepping on a rusty nail.“

SOURCE: Steven Baker, Facebook

Published: 15 Mar 2021

VERDICT

INSIGHTS

What we know about the safety of mifepristone for medical abortions and the effectiveness of progesterone for “abortion reversal”

— 24 Feb 2023

Introduction The World Health Organization considers access to safe and affordable abortion services as important for the good health and well-being of women and girls. Unsafe abor...

Authorization of bivalent COVID-19 boosters is based on scientific evidence of their safety and effectiveness

— 07 Nov 2022

image credit The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Publich Health SUMMARY In August 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized bivalent COVID-19 vaccine formulati...

What has been the effect of the pandemic on the suicide rate of the U.S. population?

— 21 Jun 2021

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic prompted countries everywhere to take measures to reduce the spread of the disease. One of these measures, which has proven to be effective (as c...