Japan has never enforced a Covid-19 vaccine mandate
An Instagram post claims that Japan has dropped Covid-19 vaccine mandates even though it has never enforced one. Read
Fact check
Covid-19 fact checks
This page brings together Full Fact’s fact checks on Covid-19, covering common claims, vaccine safety and efficacy, symptoms, treatments, government policies, and misinformation. We review evidence, correct errors, and monitor evolving science to help you make informed decisions.
An Instagram post underestimates Covid-19 deaths among younger people
Just over 17,000 people under 65 died of the disease in England and Wales, up to the end of November 2021. Read
Fact check
Health
The Nuremberg Code doesn’t state that mask mandates are a war crime
The Code, which was created in response to human experimentation in Nazi concentration camps, does not mention masks. Read
Fact check
The Covid-19 vaccines don’t have ‘negative efficacy’
Data from the UKHSA vaccine surveillance report cannot be used to estimate effectiveness correctly—as the report itself makes clear many times. Read
Fact check
A Covid-19 patient on BBC News is not a ‘crisis actor’
He was genuinely ill at the time of the interview, and later added the words “crisis actor” to his Instagram profile as a joke. Read
Fact check
Health
Lemonade and Fanta don’t test positive for Covid-19
Testing lateral flows with random things produces an invalid result. Read
Fact check
Health
Doctor who challenged Sajid Javid made misleading claims about vaccines
A doctor who challenged Sajid Javid on live TV misleadingly suggested Covid-19 vaccines are less effective than the evidence suggests. Read
Fact check
Health
UKHSA data reaffirms that vaccines work against Omicron
An online article has again misinterpreted data from the UKHSA to claim vaccines don’t prevent Covid-19 hospitalisation and death. Read
Fact check
Betty White did not get a Covid-19 booster vaccine three days before she died
Multiple social media posts falsely report actress Betty White had her third Covid vaccine three days before she died. Read
Fact check
Health
Boris Johnson misspoke about unvaccinated people in ICU
Around 90% of Covid ICU admissions have not received a booster, but only about 61% are not vaccinated at all. Read
Fact check
Evidence you can rely on
Fact checking claims made by politicians, public figures and viral online content can give you the full picture backed by the evidence.
Subscribe to weekly email newsletters from Full Fact for updates on politics, immigration, health and more. Our fact checks are free to read but not to produce, so you will also get occasional emails about fundraising and other ways you can help. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy.