copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2020-05-20): The Amish are a Christian Anabaptist group of Swiss-German ancestry who arrived in the U.S. in the 18th century. Today about 335,000 Amish people live in 31 U.S. states. The Amish religion does not restrict access to modern medical care and children are vaccinated to some degree. Independently of immunization status and lifestyle, the Amish population has less genetic variability, which may be protective against certain diseases while increasing susceptibility to others.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2021-12-02): Vaccination patterns of the northeast Ohio Amish revisited - PMID: 33478791 - DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.01.022 [...] Objectives: The Holmes County Amish have low vaccination rates, an increasingly diverse population, and have an increased incidence of certain inherited diseases. The objectives were to evaluate; the rate and influences of vaccine hesitancy compared to a decade ago, vaccination patterns between Amish affiliations, vaccine practices of Amish special needs children, and the Amish's acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine. [...] Conclusion: The Holmes County Amish have decreasing vaccine acceptance. Efforts to improve vaccination will require a targeted focus on the primary influences and beliefs of sub-populations within the Amish. Physician advocacy, peer mentorship, father-directed education, and close partnership with Church leadership will be needed to limit vaccine-preventable disease. The Amish may be at risk for low uptake of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2021-04-28): Marcus Yoder, who lives in Holmes County, was born Amish and is now Mennonite and still has close ties to the Amish community. He says the few Amish who are getting vaccinated are doing so privately through doctors' offices and small rural clinics – and they are keeping it to themselves. [...] The widespread reluctance to get vaccinated in Amish communities is not surprising to West Virginia University sociologist Rachel Stein, who studies Amish populations across the country. [...] Instead, she says there's an acceptance that people will get sick and get better – or not. While childhood vaccinations have increased in Ohio's Amish communities in recent years, adults are still more hesitant, she adds.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2024-10-08): Researchers link new gene variant in Amish population to lower risk of heart disease [...] University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers, working with scientists from the Regeneron Genetics Center (RGC), discovered a new gene variant associated with lower levels of heart-damaging LDL cholesterol and a blood clotting protein called fibrinogen that appears to significantly lower a person's risk of heart disease. While the gene variant is extremely rare in the general population (less than 1 in 10,000), it is found in about 12 percent of those living in the Lancaster county, Pennsylvania Amish community, according to the study published today in the journal Science.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2021-12-02): Researchers link gene variant in Amish population to lower risk of heart disease University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers, working with scientists from the Regeneron Genetics Center (RGC), discovered a new gene variant associated with lower levels of heart-damaging LDL cholesterol and a blood clotting protein called fibrinogen that appears to significantly lower a person's risk of heart disease. While the gene variant is extremely rare in the general population (less than 1 in 10,000), it is found in about 12 percent of those living in the Lancaster county, Pennsylvania Amish community, according to the study published today in the journal Science.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2018-01-03): The Amish are a group of traditional Christian people with Swiss origins. They rarely receive vaccines, and they rarely come down with diseases like cancer, autism or heart disease. Coincidence? Let’s dig deeper and find out. [...] The Amish Opt Out of Vaccines and Rarely Develop Autism [...] The vulnerable central nervous systems of the young Amish are spared the onslaught of this volatile toxin thanks to their parent’s unwillingness to believe unquestioningly what they’re told by authorities. As a result, Amish children rarely experience learning disabilities, as well as common US diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2023-07-10): Anti-vaccine advocates have, at least since the early 2000s, used the Amish — a group of insular individuals descended from Swiss Anabaptist immigrants who shun modern technology — as a piece of evidence that links autism to vaccines. [...] The argument that near non-existent rates of autism amongst the Amish are related to a failure to vaccinate rests on two assumptions: 1) that the Amish do not vaccinate their children, and 2) that the Amish do not get autism. Both assumptions are false. [...] Counter to the claims that the Amish do not vaccinate and do not get autism are the facts that a majority of Amish people vaccinate their children and that Amish people are, in fact, diagnosed with autism. Though it is true that their vaccination rates are lower, and that — at least according to preliminary studies — their rates of autism occurrence are also lower, this observation in no way validates the idea — popularized by a fraudulent, retracted study by a doctor with a financial interest in promoting a different vaccine — that vaccines cause autism.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2023-07-24): The claim: A new study found zero cases of autism, cancer or diabetes in Amish children [...] "New Study Finds Zero Amish Children Diagnosed with Cancer, Diabetes or Autism," reads the headline. [...] The Amish Heritage Foundation told USA TODAY there are cases of Amish children with each of the listed conditions. A researcher who focuses on the Amish community highlighted news articles and studies showing Amish children are not exempt from cancer, autism or diabetes.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2023-07-24): The Amish are an unvaccinated population. [...] There is no autism or sudden infant death syndrome in Amish communities. [...] Many Amish people are vaccinated against various diseases. Some also use GMO (genetically modified) seeds.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2023-07-21): He told legislators, "The Amish are a perfect example of a large group of people who are largely unvaccinated and there’s no autism — we can’t find an autistic kid who was unvaccinated. It’s very, very rare. In the Amish community — very, very rare. You won’t find transsexuals. You won’t find homosexuals. You won’t find kids with ADD, with autoimmune disease, with PANDAS/PANS, with epilepsy. You just don’t find any of these chronic diseases in the Amish." [...] As for Kirsch’s claim that in addition to autism, gender dysphoria, homosexuality, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autoimmune diseases, Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) and Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS), and epilepsy are virtually nonexistent among the Amish because they are unvaccinated — that’s not right, either.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2023-09-06): This summer, viral misinformation claimed that the Amish did not vaccinate against COVID-19 and, as a result, had a death rate 90 times lower than the rest of the United States. Now, a Penn State study is the first to provide geographically broad and population-wide evidence that while the Amish-populated counties across the nation tend to have lower vaccination rates than other populations, they are not entirely unvaccinated. [...] "The results support our hypothesis that Amish affiliation independently predicts vaccine hesitancy," Anderson said. "This finding supports our hypothesis that Amish are under-vaccinated for COVID-19, although not at the rate some recent commentators have suggested." [...] More information: Cory Anderson et al, Population-Wide Vaccination Hesitancy among the Amish: A County-Level Study of COVID-19 Vaccine Adoption and Implications for Public Health Policy and Practice, Population Research and Policy Review (2023). DOI: 10.1007/s11113-023-09816-9
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2024-09-01): While the Amish are at an increased risk for some genetic disorders, researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) have found their tendency for clean living can lead to better health. Overall cancer rates in the Amish are 60 percent of the age-adjusted rate for Ohio and 56 percent of the national rate. Tobacco-related cancers in Amish adults are 37 percent and non-tobacco-related cancers are 72 percent of the rate for Ohio adults. The Amish are protected against many types of cancer both through their lifestyle—there is very little tobacco or alcohol use and limited sexual partners—and through genes that may reduce their susceptibility to cancer. Dr. Judith Westman, director of human genetics at OSUCCC – James, conducted the study. The findings were reported in a recent issue of the journal Cancer Causes & Control. Even skin cancer rates are lower for Amish, despite the fact many Amish make their living working outdoors where they are exposed to sunlight and UV rays. [...] Regional hospitals and midwives routinely send whole-blood filter paper neonatal screens for tandem mass spectrometry and other modern analytical methods to detect 14 of the metabolic disorders found in these populations… - ^ "Amish Have Lower Rates of Cancer, Ohio State Study Shows". Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Medical Center. January 1, 2010. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2020-05-20): An article, published on 11 November 2017 by Mark Sloan on EndAllDisease, claims that "the unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism or heart disease", attributing the occurrence of these diseases to vaccination. The article recently went viral on Facebook, receiving more than 32,000 shares over the past 4 months. [...] However, a lower prevalence of certain diseases in Amish communities compared to the general population does not support the statement that "the Amish rarely experience learning disabilities, cancer, autism, or heart disease" and "are a shining example of health". Amish lifestyle factors such as diet, reduced smoking, and increased physical activity may partially contribute to the differences in disease prevalence[5]. [...] The claim that "The Amish don’t get autism because they do not vaccinate their children" was previously reviewed by Snopes and rated as false. Other false claims regarding a causal association between vaccines and autism, diabetes, and cancer were previously reviewed by Health Feedback here. Learn more about vaccine safety at the Vaccine Safety Communication eLibrary, maintained by the World Health Organization’s Vaccine Safety Net.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2023-07-14): No, Amish kids aren’t immune to cancer, diabetes and autism — and they aren’t vaccine-free, either CLAIM: A new, comprehensive study has found zero cases of Amish children with cancer, diabetes, autism or other serious medical conditions and few deaths from COVID-19 because Amish people don’t get vaccinated. AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. There’s no new research supporting the claims. Experts who study Amish communities say most members have some level of vaccination and that research has shown significant deaths from COVID in the communities. They also say studies have documented cases of autism, diabetes and cancer among the Amish, albeit at lower rates in some cases than the broader population and for reasons that are unrelated to their vaccination status.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2019-11-07): In 2014, another year that spiked, one large outbreak included 383 cases, occurring primarily among unvaccinated Amish communities in Ohio, according to the CDC.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2018-02-22): Anxieties about the vaccine have led to outbreaks in the US as well. In 2014, there were a record 667 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A substantial number of those were among the unvaccinated Amish communities in Ohio.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2024-10-04): COVID-19 vaccines [edit]In July 2023, Leading Report published an article claiming a "new comprehensive study" by Steve Kirsch, who is known for promoting misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, found "that for Amish children, who are strictly 100 percent unvaccinated, typical chronic conditions barely exist, if any at all", including "auto-immune disease, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, ADHD, arthritis, cancer, and autism". The article cited anecdotal evidence Kirsch provided, and Kirsch had made no claim of a study finding zero cases of the conditions.[22][23][24] A leader for the Amish Heritage Foundation stated they were aware of Amish children with each of these conditions, and that claims to the contrary are "anti-Amish tropes. It marginalizes us Amish people and contributes further harm toward Amish children who need medical care and attention".[23] [...] - ^ "Claim by Steve Kirsch that the Amish don't experience autism, cancer, or high COVID-19 mortality because they don't vaccinate is baseless". Health Feedback. July 18, 2023. Archived from the original on July 25, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023. [...] - ^ "No evidence that Amish kids have 'zero' cancer, diabetes and autism". Reuters. July 27, 2023. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2023-07-18): Posts on social media claim that not a single Amish child has been diagnosed with cancer, diabetes, or autism. Many of the posts include a screenshot of an article, published by Slay News on July 9, 2023, with the headline "Zero Amish Children Diagnosed with Cancer, Diabetes or Autism." [...] The claims are based on a senate testimony from tech entrepreneur turned anti-vaccine activist Steve Kirsch. According to the Slay News article, "a new comprehensive study has found that no Amish children have been diagnosed with chronic conditions that impact the rest of America." It states that Amish children are strictly 100 percent unvaccinated and rarely presented with any long-term diseases or lifelong disorders, including cancer, autism, heart disease and others. The study was allegedly presented by Steve Kirsch to the Pennsylvania State Senate. [...] Kirsch did give testimony in a Pennsylvania State Senate hearing on June 9, 2023. Talking about vaccines and the Amish, he said, "The Amish are a perfect example of a large group of people who are largely unvaccinated. And there is no – we can’t find an autistic kid who was unvaccinated. It’s very, very rare. In the Amish community, very, very rare. You won’t find transsexuals, you won’t find homosexuals. You won’t find kids with ADD, with auto-immune disease, with PANDAS, PANS, with epilepsy. You just don’t find any of these chronic diseases in the Amish."
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2023-09-07): This summer, viral misinformation claimed that the Amish did not vaccinate against COVID-19 and, as a result, had a death rate 90 times lower than the rest of the United States. Now, a Penn State study is the first to provide geographically broad and population-wide evidence that while the Amish-populated counties across the nation tend to have lower vaccination rates than other populations, they are not entirely unvaccinated. [...] "The results support our hypothesis that Amish affiliation independently predicts vaccine hesitancy," Anderson said. "This finding supports our hypothesis that Amish are under-vaccinated for COVID-19, although not at the rate some recent commentators have suggested."
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2024-01-07): Despite popular belief, there is a persistent myth that the Amish community has low rates of autism compared to the general population. However, this perception is not supported by scientific evidence. Let's explore the origins of this myth and examine the research surrounding it. [...] The myth of low autism rates in the Amish community may have stemmed from a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of observations made by some individuals. It is essential to recognize that the Amish community, known for their close-knit and insular way of life, has limited exposure to mainstream society. This limited exposure may lead some to assume that autism rates are lower among the Amish due to a perceived lack of modern environmental factors or influences. Scientific studies have debunked the notion of low autism rates in the Amish community. Research conducted by experts in the field of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) consistently demonstrates that autism occurs at similar rates among the Amish population as it does in the general population.
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2023-07-09): No Amish kids get cancer, diabetes, autism? That’s Pants on Fire! [...] "We can’t find an autistic kid who was unvaccinated, it’s very, very rare ... You just don’t find any of these chronic diseases in the Amish," Kirsch said. [...] Slay, "Zero Amish Children Diagnosed with Cancer, Diabetes or Autism," July 9, 2023
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2024-10-02): The last cases of wild type 1 poliovirus occurred in the United States among unvaccinated Amish persons and members of other religious groups who did not accept vaccination. The source of the outbreak was determined to have been brought over to the United States from the Netherlands by members of an unvaccinated religious group. 1979 1978
Claim: “The unvaccinated Amish rarely get cancer, autism, or heart disease.” (Mark Sloan, 2020-05-20)
Evidence (2019-02-09): Let's also consider Amish children. They are mostly unvaccinated. Dr. Frank Noonan is a doctor who treats Amish children in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He has said that he has seen no cases of autism in the thousands of Amish children he has treated over 25 years. "You'll find all the other stuff, but we don't find the autism," he states.
Claim: Study shows myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccination carries serious risk of death (Joseph Mackinnon, 2024-01-29)
Evidence (2024-01-29): Studies have shown that people vaccinated against COVID-19 are less likely to develop severe disease, require hospitalization, and die from COVID-19 compared to unvaccinated people. While COVID-19 vaccines are associated with a slightly elevated risk of myocarditis and a particular blood clotting disorder, it is COVID-19 that is associated with a greater risk of these illnesses and other complications. On balance, the evidence gathered so far by studies shows that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the risks, not the other way around.
Claim: Study shows myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccination carries serious risk of death (Joseph Mackinnon, 2024-01-29)
Evidence (2024-06-28): Before COVID vaccines were deployed and administered, it was reported that patients with COVID-19 have approximatively 16 times the risk for myocarditis relative to patients without COVID-193. Matched analyses from medical records (Dec 2020 to May 2021) from the largest health care organization in Israel21 showed that COVID-19 vaccination was associated with an elevated risk of myocarditis (risk ratio, 3.24) compared to unvaccinated and SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a substantially increased risk of myocarditis (risk ratio, 18.28) compared to uninfected. It was also noted that a significant lower mortality rate was observed among individuals with myocarditis after mRNA vaccination when compared to those with a viral infection–related myocarditis21,22. In line with these results, a more recent study showed that the relative risk of heart failure within 90 days was 0.56 and 1.48 for myocarditis associated with vaccination and COVID-19 disease, respectively23. In summary, compared with myocarditis associated with COVID-19 disease, myocarditis after vaccination with SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines occurs less frequent and in addition is associated with a better clinical outcome23. [...] Le Vu, S. et al. Risk of Myocarditis after Covid-19 mRNA Vaccination: Impact of Booster Dose and Dosing Interval. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.07.31.22278064 (2022).
Claim: Study shows myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccination carries serious risk of death (Joseph Mackinnon, 2024-01-29)
Evidence (2022-02-09): Large-scale COVID-19 vaccination using mRNA technology revealed a small but real risk of vaccine-associated myocarditis (VAM). Presenting at rates of less than 4 per 100,000 in the general population, the incidence of VAM was too small to be detected in the vaccine safety and efficacy trials. Large-scale epidemiological and adverse event studies, conducted in multiple countries and using a variety of methodological approaches, have better characterized this risk according to vaccine type and subpopulation. Of particular note, VAM is most common among adolescent and young males between the ages of 12 and 24 years, with rates as high as 10.7 per 100,000. The clinical course of VAM is generally mild in both pediatric and adult populations. [...] References - Patone M, Mei XW, Handunnetthi L, et al. Risk of myocarditis following sequential COVID-19 vaccinations by age and sex. medRxiv. Published online December 25, 2021. doi:10.1101/2021.12.23.21268276.