COVID-19

Romer, Daniel, and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. “Conspiracy Theories as Barriers to Controlling the Spread of COVID-19 in the U.S.”  Social Science & Medicine , vol. 263, Oct. 2020,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113356 . Frenkel, Sheera. “The Most Influential Spreader of Coronavirus Misinformation Online.”  The New York Times , 24 July 2021,  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/24/technology/joseph-mercola-coronavirus-misinformation-online.html . Jarry, Jonathan. “Dr. Jo

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many rumors and conspiracy theories spread across social media. These rumors created confusion and distrust about the vaccine. Claims such as the vaccine containing a microchip and it being designed for population control, to the claim that it causes infertility. 1.     Was the COVID-19 vaccine created to track people? 2.     Was the vaccine part of a government population-control plan? 3.     Was the vaccine causing infertility in men and wo

Three major conspiracy theories surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines include the microchip theory, the population control theory, and the claim that the vaccines cause infertility.             The first conspiracy theory argues that the COVID-19 vaccine contains a microchip meant to track people. According to the centers for disease control and prevention, health officials say that “COVID-19 vaccines do not contain microchips, and vaccines do not track people or collect personal

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people spread false information about the virus and vaccines. One example of the main people behind this was Dr. Joseph Mercola. He was a well-known alternative medicine doctor. He shared misleading health advice online (Frenkel). Mercola spoke in a way that was convincing to many. He persuaded people to trust him with his words, even without truth behind his claims people believed him. Moreover, he made money from selling supplements and pr

Would you take a vaccine that you believe is microchipped to track you? A peer-reviewed academic study showed how the rise of these rumors made people less likely to follow health guidelines.  (Romer and Jamieson). According to Romer and Jamieson, “conspiracy theories can act as barriers controlling the Spread of COVID-19 in the U.S.” (Romer and Jamieson). Conspiracies that remain about the vaccine are: 1.The Bill Gates microchip conspiracy. 2.Controlling the population and i