Dr Fergus Brown

Clinical Fact Checker (former)

Fergus joined Full Fact in December 2022, as part of a new team tackling health misinformation. Before this, he had been working as a junior doctor, including a stint in Public Health, and as a Royal College of Psychiatrists Foundation Fellow.

15 August 2023

Andrew Bridgen misrepresents study in letter to PM

The MP has called for a halt to the Covid-19 vaccine booster programme based on a Swiss study. But the study has a number of limitations, and the authors view their findings differently.

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9 August 2023

Food study didn’t show that later breakfasts raise diabetes risk

A MailOnline article and a press release both said that a new study found that eating breakfast earlier lowers the risk of diabetes. But the study did not say this.

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8 August 2023

Influencer Ellie Grey makes unsupported claims about cancer cures

The influencer claimed there are hundreds of alternative cures for cancer, listing several. None of these have been shown to work.

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7 August 2023

Selenium not shown to cause ‘dramatic reduction’ in certain cancers

A viral video on Facebook claims the essential trace mineral selenium can fight certain cancers. This isn’t borne out in the data.

31 July 2023

Drinking borax carries risk of toxicity

A video that has been widely shared on social media falsely claims that borax, a cleaning chemical, isn’t toxic when consumed, and can help with various ailments.

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27 July 2023

Covid isn’t fake

A social media post claims Covid-19 is a fake virus. This isn’t the case. Millions of people have died from the disease and it continues to infect people worldwide.

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24 July 2023

Amish people do get vaccinated

False social media claims link Amish lifestyles to the absence of diseases. Amish people do use vaccines and GMOs, and they do also have conditions like autism and SIDS.

12 July 2023

False claims of links between vaccines and HIV spread online

A social media post falsely links Dr Anthony Fauci to the origins of the AIDS epidemic and repeats a long debunked theory that the smallpox vaccine causes HIV.

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6 July 2023

Evidence doesn’t show sunscreen increases cancer risk

A social media post falsely claims that sunscreens increase cancer risk, and makes assertions about endocrine disruption that aren’t borne out in the evidence.

5 July 2023

Facebook posts contain false claims about FDA product approval

Social media posts claim a “nasal herbal box” is FDA approved for weight loss and liver health. This is simply not true.

Fact checks

Analysis

Policy & Impact

About

Dr Fergus Brown

Clinical Fact Checker (former)

Andrew Bridgen misrepresents study in letter to PM

Food study didn’t show that later breakfasts raise diabetes risk

Influencer Ellie Grey makes unsupported claims about cancer cures

Selenium not shown to cause ‘dramatic reduction’ in certain cancers

Drinking borax carries risk of toxicity

Covid isn’t fake

Amish people do get vaccinated

False claims of links between vaccines and HIV spread online

Evidence doesn’t show sunscreen increases cancer risk

Facebook posts contain false claims about FDA product approval

Full Fact fights bad information