Health
No graphene oxide in Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine
The substance was used as a tool to study a sample during the vaccine’s development. It is not an ingredient in the vaccine itself. Read
Fact checks
Leo Benedictus
Journalist
Leo joined Full Fact in January 2020. For 15 years, he worked freelance as a feature writer for the Guardian, Prospect, the New Scientist and others, making maps of immigration, explaining citizens’ assemblies and debunking superfoods. He has a fondness for science and statistics. He also writes novels.
Health
Widespread confusion over number of ‘people’ on NHS waiting lists
The latest figures show there are 7.8 million cases waiting for planned treatment in England—but only 6.5 million people, because some are waiting for more than one thing. Read
Fact checks
Health
Covid-19 vaccines did not kill 30 people at one clinic in New Zealand
This claim comes from an activist who supplied no supporting evidence. It is contradicted by data on deaths published by the New Zealand government. Read
Fact checks
Health
Instagram post lacks vital context about Covid deaths among the vaccinated
Virtually all the most vulnerable people are vaccinated against Covid, so most of the people who die of it are too. Read
Fact checks
Health
Google snippets falsely claimed eating glass has health benefits
The search engine highlighted text that appeared to be AI-generated false information published online as an example of an AI ‘hallucination’. Read
Fact checks
Health
English maternity services rated worse on safety specifically than overall
The Mirror and BBC Radio reported a figure on official maternity ratings without clarifying that it referred to safety specifically. Read
Fact checks
Health
Smoking causes about one in four deaths from cancer
Steve Barclay confused smoking’s share of cancer deaths with its share of cancer cases, in comments on the BBC and Sky. Read
Fact checks
Health
Wes Streeting wrong to say a million more patients waiting than a year ago
The latest official data shows that about half a million more people are waiting for planned treatment in England. Labour used a less reliable figure for its comparison. Read
Fact checks
Health
‘Get Covid and live longer’? Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp at Covid Inquiry fact checked
Most people dying of Covid in 2020 were over 80—but they also generally had years of life left. Read
Fact checks
Health
The Covid vaccines are not ‘poison’
The benefits of Covid vaccination outweigh the risks for most people, and although mild side effects are common, serious ones are rare. Read
Fact checks