Incorrect
Claim that flu is “natural healing process” overlooks flu-related hospitalizations and deaths
Claim:
Flu is the body “healing itself”, the flu vaccine removes that “natural healing process”
Articles tagged with
Influenza
-
Source: Facebook, Facebook user, 2024-09-08 -
Inaccurate
Studies show flu vaccine reduces risk of flu-related illness and hospitalization; benefits of flu vaccine outweigh its risks
Claim:
Flu shots don’t work, increase your risk of getting the flu, damage your immunity and nervous system
Source: Facebook, Silicon Valley Health Institute, Raymond Francis, 2017-11-16 -
Inaccurate
Social media post inaccurately claims natural remedy of garlic, onions, thyme, and lemon can replace the flu shot
Claim:
A soup made of garlic, onions, thyme, and lemon can replace the flu shot and cure other illnesses such as the common cold and norovirus
Source: Healthy Holistic Living, Anonymous, 2023-11-04 -
Misleading
Lower flu activity this season likely due to COVID-19 restrictions, increased flu vaccination, and other factors, not to misdiagnosis of flu cases as COVID-19
Claim:
”There is no evidence to support the contention that masks would stop influenza while failing to stop COVID”; “Influenza has been renamed COVID-19 in large part”
Source: Just the News, Daniel Payne, 2021-01-01 -
Incorrect
The flu is caused by the influenza virus; stress and lack of vitamin D can make infection more likely, but don’t cause the flu
Claim:
“The flu is not a season! It is an inability to adapt due to decreased sun exposure and water intake, combined with increased sugar intake and stress.”
Source: Healthy Holistic Living, Anonymous, 2020-12-11 -
Inaccurate
A 2008 study co-authored by Anthony Fauci did not find that masks caused bacterial pneumonia, contrary to viral social media claim
Claim:
“Most of the victims of the Spanish flu didn’t die from the Spanish flu. They died from bacterial pneumonia. And the bacterial pneumonia was caused by [...] wearing masks”
Source: Facebook, Facebook users, 2020-10-23 -
Inaccurate
Fewer flu cases observed in the start of this flu season, but Donald Trump Jr.’s tweet suggesting data manipulation is unsupported and cites inaccurate figures
Claim:
“We went from 75,000 flu deaths last year in America to almost 0 [...] do you think there may be allocation games being played to manipulate the truth?”
Source: Twitter/X, Donald Trump Jr., 2020-10-26 -
Inaccurate
The group World Doctors Alliance spreads misinformation about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus, and the reliability of diagnostic tests
Claim:
COVID-19 is a type of flu and is not a pandemic; PCR tests are up to 94% false positive; only 98 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Ireland.
Source: Facebook, YouTube, Doctors For Truth, World Doctors Alliance, 2020-10-15 -
Unsupported
Claims that flu cases are used to inflate COVID-19 case counts are misleading, based on inaccurate numbers
Claim:
“Flu cases down by 95%” between 2019 and 2020 for the weeks 40 to 41; flu is being diagnosed as COVID-19, leading to fewer flu cases being recorded
Source: Facebook, Facebook users, 2020-10-18 -
Flawed reasoning
The flu shot is an effective measure to protect people from flu, and enhances protection when used with face masks
Claim:
“Seriously if the ‘mask’ protects me and you from [COVID-19] and we've been walking around in them for months, why would anyone need a flu shot right now?”
Source: Facebook, Facebook users, 2020-09-21
