copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2021-02-17): Anti-vaccine sentiment was high in France before COVID-19, in part the legacy of major French health scandals, including donor blood found to have been contaminated with the AIDS virus in the 1990s; a furor, also in the 1990s, over a supposed link between Hepatitis B vaccines and autism, which has been disproven; and millions of euros spent needlessly on H1N1 flu vaccines in the late 2000s. [...] Now that vaccines are here, many French doubt their government’s word can be trusted. "There is a really, really strong link between skepticism of the vaccine, and distrust of political institutions," says Antoine Bristielle, a researcher with the Jean-Jaurès Foundation in Paris, who has conducted several polls on vaccine views. "We have a very, very high level of political distrust," he says. [...] But that caution seems to have backfired, as millions of French now wonder why other countries’ vaccine programs are working so much better than theirs. "Macron overestimated the anti-vaxx trend in France," says Karine Lacombe, head of infectious diseases at Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris. "The government was really afraid of promoting the COVID vaccine, in case there were problems, and they would be held responsible."
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2021-09-17): Amid High Vaccine Skepticism, France Has Inoculated 75% Of Its Population France enacted tough vaccine mandates in July, in anticipation of a fourth wave of COVID-19. Some people took to the streets in protest, but most complied. [...] ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: France, a country with a reputation for high vaccine skepticism, has now inoculated 75% of its population. And it's 86% if you take those over the age of 12. French health minister Olivier Veran spoke on RTL radio.
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2021-07-16): BEARDSLEY: Polls show 10% of the French population say they will not get the COVID vaccine no matter the pressure. Thousands of vaccine skeptics hooked up with others, including anti-Macron yellow vest protesters to demonstrate in several cities this week. They chanted liberte and we are not your guinea pigs. [...] BEARDSLEY: He says the French don't have the luxury of debating the vaccine while others are dying horrible deaths from COVID with no access to vaccines at all. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2022-01-12): Table 1 Effects of the health pass in France on three dimensions of vaccine hesitancy [...] In France, opposition to vaccines against COVID-19 is grounded in a distrust of the mainstream political system and the current government in particular7,11. Some of the government’s choices have not helped to build this trust. Trust is built by clearly explaining the uncertainties and constraints bearing on the decisions being made, so that the public can understand them, even when they change, and trust that they are based on the best available science17. Projecting certainty and control leads to avoidable changes in messages and the breaking of unnecessary promises. [...] Le Monde-AFP. https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2021/10/27/obligation-vaccinale-le-chu-de-guadeloupe-condamne-des-operations-commandos-menees-par-des-personnels-grevistes_6099993_3224.html (2021).
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2024-02-23): Misleading: The posts make blanket statements to the effect that all criticism against mRNA vaccines would lead to jail under a new French law. However, the law only targets the use of repeated pressure and manipulation to force people to refrain from treatment, while hiding the health risks of not vaccinating. Thus, the law doesn’t apply to most content criticizing or opposing mRNA vaccines. Claims that France passed a law criminalizing criticism of mRNA vaccines circulated on social media in February 2024. They referred to a bill passed by the French National Assembly on 14 February 2024, addressing sectarian drift ("dérive sectaire") and the consequences they may have on people’s health. However, these claims are incorrect. [...] For example, one video on Instagram claimed that "France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines"; another affirmed that "France is passing a law that can lead to imprisonment for anyone who advocates against mRNA vaccines", that "the bill specifically highlights mRNA vaccines", and that "making any statements against vaccines, even if they’re true, will now be criminal acts".
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2021-02-01): - behaviour modification - coercion - technology/risk assessment - philosophical ethics - public health ethics [...] Grave threat to public health [...] As we can see from the previous section and figure 2, there are a variety of coercive measures. (The Nuffield Council has created a related "Intervention Ladder",29 though this includes education and incentives, as well as coercive measures.) Penalties can be high. In war, those who conscientiously objected to fighting went to jail or were forced to perform community service (or participate in medical research). In France, parents were given a suspended prison sentence for refusing to vaccinate their child.30
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2024-02-24): Several social media users have claimed that France has made it illegal to criticize COVID-19 vaccines. This claim has surfaced in light of a bill on "sectarian abuses" passed by the French National Assembly on February 14. One post on X(formerly Twitter) sharing the claim amassed over 417,000 views (archived here) at the time of writing. The post claimed that anyone who advises against mRNA, the technology used in popular COVID vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, can in the future be imprisoned in France for up to three years or receive a fine of up to 45,000 euros. "This law means person/s can be fined up to €45,000 or in-prisoned up to 3 years for any criticizing or opposing mRNA Lipid Nanotechnology injections or treatment," said another post on X (archived here) viewed more than 150,000 times. Similar claims about the new French bill were also shared on TikTok (archived here). Several such posts include a screenshot of a blog post (archived here), originally in German, headlined "France: Criticism of mRNA will be punishable in the future." The post was published on the blog, which usually shares updates on science and politics, on February 15.
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2023-12-05): AIDS also saw the emergence of patients' organizations on the health scene. [...] It was a transforming lesson that has been applied now way beyond HIV, to a number of diseases. You have 75.23% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2024-10-09): Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [...] Early life and education [...] Controversies and vaccine skepticism
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2023-09-05): - ACIP Pneumococcal Vaccines Work Group [...] Pneumococcal Vaccines and Administration [...] Economic Assessment of Use of PCVs
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2023-10-31): In the video, McCullough, a cardiologist who has become known for spreading disinformation, talks about the pandemic and mRNA vaccines, claiming that patients were incorrectly treated and that the vaccines have caused a second "wave of injury", following the first wave of Covid-19 itself. Ultimately, he calls for the vaccines to be banned. [...] Amount of vaccine mRNA declines over time [...] However, while possible links between vaccines and many conditions are researched, causal links between mRNA vaccines and most of the conditions have not been established.
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2024-03-25): Did France just pass a new law to jail people for opposing mRNA vaccines?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are! Claim : France Passed Law To Jail Opposition To mRNA Vaccines! [...] Truth : France Did Not Pass Law To Jail Opposition To mRNA Vaccines!
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2022-01-18): France Approves COVID-19 Vaccine Pass Law, Joins Other EU Countries With COVID Fines and Mandates Europe 17/01/2022 • Raisa Santos Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tens of thousands of people protested against COVID-19 vaccine passes across France France’s newest measure to tackle COVID-19 – requiring a certificate of vaccination at public places such as restaurants, cafes, cinemas, and long-distance trains – was approved by its parliament on Sunday. With lawmakers in the lower house of parliament voting 215 to 58 in favour, the law is set to be enforced in coming days. President Emmanuel Macron told Le Parisien paper in an interview this month that he wanted to "piss off" unvaccinated people by making their lives so complicated they would end up getting the COVID vaccine. "The unvaccinated, I really want to piss them off. And so we’re going to continue doing so until the end. That’s the strategy," said Macron. Currently, unvaccinated people can enter these places with recent proof of a negative COVID-19 test.
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2024-02-20): Did France just pass a new "Article Pfizer" law to ban and criminalise any criticism of mRNA vaccines?! [...] People are sharing articles and/or a screenshot on X (formerly Twitter), which appears to show that France just passed a new "Article Pfizer" law to ban and criminalise any criticism of mRNA vaccines! [...] There does not seem to be any provision in the law to fine or imprison people in France who criticise mRNA vaccines, or pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer.
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2024-02-17): A bitterly divided French National Assembly last week voted to approve sweeping legislation titled The Bill To Strengthen The Fight Against Sectarian Excesses And Improve The Support Of Victims. Article 4, derisively dubbed the "Pfizer Article" by critics, is the most controversial. It creates a new crime punishable by 1 to 3 years in prison and fines of €15,000 to €45,000 for speech or actions that causes others to "abandon medical care." [...] Although the word Pfizer does not appear in the legislation, nor does the term mRNA, the often-raucous debate in the National Assembly was largely directed at the anti-vaccine groundswell that had taken root online during COVID. Pharmaceutical companies lobbied behind the scenes for its passage. Supporters contended the law would ensure public safety in any national health crisis or a future pandemic. It was, said its sponsors, a "required tool to stop the spread of misinformation" that could otherwise undermine government public health policies. [...] Many governments used the pandemic to test novel ways to exert control from mandatory lockdowns to vaccine mandates and passports. France is the first country to consider adding a post-pandemic tool to criminalize speech that runs counter to that government policy. It is the type of authoritarian power that the Party in George Orwell’s 1984 would admire. The rest of us should be appalled.
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2024-01-09): - France opens vaccines to all adults. [...] September 16th, 2021 - France suspends 3000 healthcare workers for refusing the Covid-19 vaccine. [...] - In response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge to "piss off" France’s unvaccinated population, anti-vaccine protesters gather in cities across the country.
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2022-03-03): But that’s just the beginning. [...] And based on projections — and based on projections, more of the country will reach a point across — that point across the next couple of weeks. [...] In state after state, new laws have been passed not only to suppress the vote — we’ve been there before — but to subvert the entire election. We can’t let this happen.
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2021-02-03): The Real Reason France Is Skeptical of Vaccines [...] In the past few months, France’s relationship to vaccines has come under unexpected scrutiny. First, a flurry of surveys and opinion polls seemed to show that the French were deeply suspicious about the possibility of taking any of the new vaccines against COVID-19. International media reported with horror that the land of Louis Pasteur—who first explained the science of vaccination in the late 19th century—was apparently filled with people who did not trust their own state to administer a safe vaccine. [...] Much of the commentary about these problems in the English-language media has focused on the rising tide of anti-vaccine sentiment in France. There is some truth to this. Confidence in medical science has declined in recent years after a series of scandals. The most famous of these relates to the diabetes drug Mediator, which was marketed as a weight loss pill and has been linked to the deaths of as many as 2,000 people. French prosecutors accuse both the drug manufacturer Servier and the government agency in charge of drug approval of negligence and manslaughter. After a trial that lasted for almost seven months, a verdict in the case is expected on March 29.
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2024-09-01): Lobbies calling for mRNA vaccines not to be classified as gene therapy 2.2.2024 [...] Their main objective was to change the legislation’s definition of ‘gene therapy’. At present, mRNA vaccines (like the COVID-19 vaccine) are to be classified as gene therapy. However, they felt that only products that modified the genome should be classified as gene therapy. - 1.Do EMA and the Commission classify Comirnaty and Spikevax mRNA vaccines as gene therapy? If so, what are the corresponding regulatory consequences?
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2022-01-10): French MPs have passed the government’s controversial vaccine pass bill after three days of an angry stop-start debate. [...] Macron said the measure was intended to coerce vaccine-hesitant people to get inoculated by further restricting their everyday activities. The law also introduces hefty fines and prison sentences for anyone caught using or supplying fake vaccine passes and for establishments that fail properly to check visitors’ vaccine status. The pass will not be required for shops or medical facilities such as hospitals and clinics. [...] Castex defended Macron’s controversial use of the verb "emmerder" (widely translated as "piss off") in his vow to put pressure on those French people who refused to be vaccinated, saying the former president, Georges Pompidou, had used the same word. Macron also angered critics by calling unvaccinated people irresponsible, adding: "Someone irresponsible is not a citizen."
Claim: “France will send citizens to jail if they question mRNA vaccines”; “It’s now a crime in France to oppose the mRNA vax” (Social media users, 2024-02-16)
Evidence (2023-06-09): Healthcare providers are required by law to report to VAERS: Healthcare providers are strongly encouraged to report to VAERS: [...] If you need further assistance with reporting to VAERS, please email info@VAERS.org or call 1-800-822-7967.
Claim: There are no reliable tests for a specific COVID-19 virus (Jerry Day, Julian Rose, 2020-03-27)
Evidence (2020-03-27): The PCR tests for COVID-19 are designed to be highly specific for the novel coronavirus—they can detect this virus unequivocally and differentiate it from other members of the coronavirus family. These PCR tests are also capable of measuring viral load (amount of virus) in patient samples, which is related to virus transmissibility and severity of infection.
Claim: There are no reliable tests for a specific COVID-19 virus (Jerry Day, Julian Rose, 2020-03-27)
Evidence (2023-06-05): Antigen tests are one type of rapid test that may help diagnose COVID-19. Some rapid tests can provide results in 15 minutes. But, they may not be as accurate as other types of tests, such as a PCR lab test. [...] In people who show symptoms of COVID-19, antigen testing is more reliable because there’s more virus to capture in the sample. [...] PCR covid tests remain the gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19.
Claim: There are no reliable tests for a specific COVID-19 virus (Jerry Day, Julian Rose, 2020-03-27)
Evidence (2020-10-14): The analytical sensitivity of the new molecular tests was reported to be high from the outset, even though a number of studies had to use target material from cultures of Vero cells or synthetic viral DNA fragments owing to the regulatory inability to access samples from the early infected populations in China45. This validation was repeated with clinically available samples from infected patients in Europe and other geographical regions, including North America and South America. This implies that for none of the currently used COVID-19 tests is the absolute sensitivity (RNA genomes per millilitre) known because there simply is not a clear gold standard for testing available for a pathogen that has been known for about half a year. It has to be emphasized that even ‘poor but cheap’ tests may be of diagnostic significance if the shortcomings of the tests are well considered66. It is relevant to note that it is difficult to obtain precise test quality data on locally used tests in China.
Claim: There are no reliable tests for a specific COVID-19 virus (Jerry Day, Julian Rose, 2020-03-27)
Evidence (2020-05-01): How Reliable Are COVID-19 Tests? Depends Which One You Mean [...] Testing for the coronavirus has been very much in the news. The first and most urgent focus is on increasing access to tests to diagnose people with current infections. But now other tests are appearing as well. Antibody tests, which can identify people with signs of past infection, are starting to be available. And a third type of test is on the way. [...] In general, these tests aren't reliable enough for individuals to act based on the results. And researchers say, even if you were certain you had antibodies to the coronavirus, it's still unknown if that protects you from getting sick again. Still, these tests can provide good information about rates of infection in a community, where errors in an individual result have less impact.
Claim: There are no reliable tests for a specific COVID-19 virus (Jerry Day, Julian Rose, 2020-03-27)
Evidence (2021-12-17): Yet COVID-19 tests aren’t easy to come by everywhere. Consumers have complained that their pharmacies are sold out and that testing centers in some places have long lines. And even if you can get your hands on a test, many folks — like my friend — have questions. In particular, she wanted to know if her daughter’s recent vaccine shot would interfere with the results of her home test. [...] There are two major categories of diagnostic tests you might encounter: antigen tests and nucleic acid amplification tests, better known as PCR tests. Both can determine whether you have a current infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. You can find a list of tests available in stores or at testing sites in the United States here. (Antibody tests aren’t diagnostic tests: They can detect evidence of past infections, but not current cases.) [...] At-home kits aren’t as sensitive as the PCR tests, but "the rapid antigen tests are really great, particularly if you’re symptomatic, to determine whether you have COVID at that moment," says Gigi Gronvall, an immunologist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. "They rival PCR for accuracy for that time" when people are symptomatic and most likely to be contagious to others.
Claim: There are no reliable tests for a specific COVID-19 virus (Jerry Day, Julian Rose, 2020-03-27)
Evidence (2021-02-09): Rapid coronavirus tests: a guide for the perplexed [...] As the number of UK coronavirus cases surged in early 2021, the government announced a potential game-changer in the fight against COVID-19: millions of cheap, rapid virus tests. On 10 January, it said it would roll these tests out across the country, to be taken by people even if they have no symptoms. Similar tests will play a crucial part in US President Joe Biden’s plans to tame the raging outbreak in the United States. [...] Fast coronavirus tests: what they can and can’t do
Claim: There are no reliable tests for a specific COVID-19 virus (Jerry Day, Julian Rose, 2020-03-27)
Evidence (2023-09-18): The reason Covid-19 tests continue to work when other tools don’t, such as the vaccines and monoclonal antibodies that have become ineffective over time, is that the vaccines and antibodies target the spike proteins that stick up from the round envelope of the virus. These spikes are under constant pressure from the environment to change, and they do. Most rapid tests, on the other hand, target the nucleocapsid proteins, or N-protein, of the coronavirus. N-proteins don’t change as much as spike proteins do. [...] Covid-19 cases were confirmed by PCR tests, which were helpful in determining a person’s viral load.
Claim: There are no reliable tests for a specific COVID-19 virus (Jerry Day, Julian Rose, 2020-03-27)
Evidence (2020-09-16): Fast coronavirus tests: what they can and can’t do Rapid antigen tests are designed to tell in a few minutes whether someone is infectious. Will they be game changers? [...] The explosion of new coronavirus tests that could help to end the pandemic