Health: news & fact-checks

Was Cinde Warmington a Purdue Pharma lobbyist? Did she call OxyContin a ‘miracle drug’? Yes and yes

PolitiFact rating: “True”

New Hampshire Democratic governor candidate Cinde Warmington “was a Purdue Pharma lobbyist. She said that OxyContin was a miracle drug.”

Published 22 Oct 2026, 20:47 UTC

Fact Crescendo (EN)

Does Zoom Dietary Supplement Contain Harmful Ingredients? No. The claim is based on incomplete facts.

Fact Crescendo (EN) rating: “Misleading”

Claim reviewed: Home Chef Quiche Lorraine contains potassium sorbate, sodium nitrite, ascorbic acid, carrageenan, etc, which are known for causing serious health issues.

Published 22 Oct 2026, 07:38 UTC

Full Fact

Google updates AI detector after Full Fact investigation finds it flagging apparently real images

Rating: see the fact-check

Our investigation found the tool claimed five images shared by politicians were “made or edited” with AI, when those who’d posted them said they weren’t.

Published 21 Oct 2026, 15:41 UTC

Newschecker

Does This Photo Show Bangladeshi Nationals Who Were Executed In Saudi Arabia?

Rating: see the fact-check

The viral photograph shows Egyptian bloggers. It has been falsely linked to the two Bangladeshi nationals who were executed in Saudi Arabia in October 2026.

Published 21 Oct 2026, 10:28 UTC

¿Estuvo James Talarico en un ‘hospital psiquiátrico’? El centro lo niega; la cronología no encaja.

PolitiFact rating: “Pants on Fire!”

Una grabación de audio es prueba de que James Talarico fue dado de alta de un “hospital psiquiátrico” el 10 de octubre.

Published 16 Oct 2026, 13:20 UTC

Ads misleadingly link Ohio’s Sherrod Brown to Texas woman who had gender transition-related surgery

PolitiFact rating: “Pants on Fire!”

“Sherrod Brown supports sex changes for minors. Irreversible surgery on kids. Like me,” Soren Aldaco.

Published 14 Oct 2026, 21:46 UTC

FactCheck.org

Talarico’s Campaign-Trail Absence Sparks False Rumor

Rating: see the fact-check

Q: Claims about James Talarico being hospitalized in a mental health facility. Is this true? A: No. An Ohio mental health center rebutted false online rumors that Talarico, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, had been there…

Published 13 Oct 2026, 21:53 UTC

Was James Talarico just discharged from ‘mental hospital’? Center denies it, timeline doesn’t fit

PolitiFact rating: “Pants on Fire!”

Audio recording is proof James Talarico was discharged from a “mental hospital” on Oct. 10.

Published 12 Oct 2026, 21:42 UTC

Ramaswamy promoted a failed Alzheimer’s drug, but did he profit from knowing it would fail?

PolitiFact rating: “Mostly False”

Vivek Ramaswamy "pushed an Alzheimer's drug that he knew didn't work. He made hundreds of millions of dollars scamming people."

Published 12 Oct 2026, 21:05 UTC

FactChecking RFK Jr.’s Children’s Health Defense Keynote

Rating: see the fact-check

Headlining a conference for Children’s Health Defense, the nonprofit he previously led that regularly spreads vaccine misinformation, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a litany of familiar false and misleading…

Published 18 Sep 2026, 21:56 UTC

RFK Jr.’s Faulty Claim that U.S. Measles Response Is ‘Better’ Than ‘Any Other Country’

Rating: see the fact-check

When asked about the largest surge in measles in over 30 years, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. is doing or has done “better … than any country in the world” in controlling…

Published 18 Sep 2026, 12:55 UTC

Rising Measles Cases Driven by Falling Vaccination, Not Illegal Immigration

Rating: see the fact-check

Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican from Florida who is running for governor, has blamed “rampant illegal immigration” during the Biden administration for measles outbreaks. But we found no link to illegal immigration in several recent large…

Published 01 Sep 2026, 21:36 UTC

What We Know About Pennsylvania’s Two ‘Measles-Associated’ Deaths

Rating: see the fact-check

After the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced two cases of measles-related deaths in one county, the local coroner appeared to contradict the account. And in an ongoing spat with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Health and Human…

Published 28 Aug 2026, 22:40 UTC

Kennedy Distorts Stat in Celebrating Obesity Drop

Rating: see the fact-check

In recent public appearances, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said obesity dropped 3% "in the last year" and suggested the Trump administration deserves at least some of the credit. One poll shows obesity…

Published 24 Aug 2026, 19:34 UTC

RFK Jr. Falsely Claims New Evidence Supports Splitting MMR Vaccine

Rating: see the fact-check

Following an executive order that called for breaking up the combination measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that a “recent” study “just came out” that “very strongly…

Published 18 Aug 2026, 21:28 UTC

Republicans Revive False Miscarriage Statistic, Twist Fauci’s Texts About COVID-19 Shots

Rating: see the fact-check

Studies have shown no connection between COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and increased risk of miscarriage. Despite this, Republican Sens. Rand Paul and Ron Johnson resurrected a long-debunked claim of an astronomical rate of…

Published 14 Aug 2026, 21:53 UTC

Trump and RFK Jr. Repeat False and Misleading Vaccine Claims

Rating: see the fact-check

During the signing of an executive order on vaccines, President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a deluge of false and misleading claims about the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule. The post…

Published 11 Aug 2026, 22:36 UTC

Wellness influencers claim mainstream medicine ignores natural remedies. They’re wrong

Science Feedback rating: “Inaccurate”

Claim reviewed: Mainstream medicine disregards or hides natural cures — attributed by the checker to Social media influencers

Published 01 Jul 2026, 16:20 UTC

Infectious disease outbreaks: a magnet for conspiracy theories

Rating: see the fact-check

Highly mediatized disease outbreaks like COVID-19 and hantavirus are invariably plagued by conspiracy theories alleging that they are a hoax or planned. Why are these conspiracy theories so appealing and what makes people vulnerable to…

Published 02 Jun 2026, 12:01 UTC

Hantavirus outbreak reignites COVID misinformation tropes

Science Feedback rating: “Inaccurate”

Claim reviewed: Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius is a hoax — attributed by the checker to Social media users

Published 13 May 2026, 14:28 UTC