copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: “Moderna and Pfizer shots have a bovine protein in them that then creates an autoimmune response in those that take the shot so that many of them can no longer eat beef” (Alex Jones, 2023-11-08)
Evidence (2021-12-08): Comparative Effectiveness and Antibody Responses to Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines among Hospitalized Veterans — Five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, United States, February 1–September 30, 2021 [...] Antibody levels were significantly higher among Moderna recipients than Pfizer-BioNTech recipients across all age groups and periods since vaccination; however, antibody levels among recipients of both products declined between 14–119 days and ≥120 days. These findings from a cohort of older, hospitalized veterans with high prevalences of underlying conditions suggest the importance of booster doses to help maintain long-term protection against severe COVID-19.† [...] Suggested citation for this article: Bajema KL, Dahl RM, Evener SL, et al. Comparative Effectiveness and Antibody Responses to Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines among Hospitalized Veterans — Five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, United States, February 1–September 30, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:1700–1705. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7049a2.
Claim: “Moderna and Pfizer shots have a bovine protein in them that then creates an autoimmune response in those that take the shot so that many of them can no longer eat beef” (Alex Jones, 2023-11-08)
Evidence (2021-10-02): Much has been made of the fact that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines involve Messenger RNAs (mRNAs). But how does mRNA work?
Claim: “Moderna and Pfizer shots have a bovine protein in them that then creates an autoimmune response in those that take the shot so that many of them can no longer eat beef” (Alex Jones, 2023-11-08)
Evidence (2024-03-09): How it works: Similar to the Pfizer vaccine, this is an mRNA vaccine that sends host cells in the body instructions for making a spike protein that will train the immune system to recognize it. The immune system will then attack the spike protein the next time it sees one (attached to the actual SARS CoV-2 virus). [...] Moderna’s initial Phase 3 clinical data in December 2020 was similar to Pfizer-BioNTech’s—both vaccines showed about 95% efficacy for prevention of COVID. Later data on real-world effectiveness for adults showed that the protection from the mRNA two-dose primary series wanes over time, but booster doses brought the immune system back to robust levels. Additional information is available on the FDA’s Moderna 2024-2025 vaccine fact sheet.
Claim: “Moderna and Pfizer shots have a bovine protein in them that then creates an autoimmune response in those that take the shot so that many of them can no longer eat beef” (Alex Jones, 2023-11-08)
Evidence (2023-08-11): In a video from August 2023, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and InfoWars employee Rob Dew claimed that the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines contain a bovine protein called alpha-gal that "creates an autoimmune response in those that take the shot so that many of them can no longer eat beef". [...] However, the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines don’t contain any ingredients of animal origin. Since the alpha-gal present in some vaccines comes from animal products, the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines also don’t contain alpha-gal and therefore wouldn’t be able to cause an allergic reaction in people with AGS.
Claim: “Moderna and Pfizer shots have a bovine protein in them that then creates an autoimmune response in those that take the shot so that many of them can no longer eat beef” (Alex Jones, 2023-11-08)
Evidence (2011-11-11): Two mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer Biontech and Moderna have demonstrated impressive levels of immunity against SARS CoV-2 virus in randomised controlled trials (5,6). This relatively new technology had several advantages that made it one of the earliest vaccines to be developed, tested, scaled up and subsequently approved for use all over the world. The potency of the immune response is another significant advantage of mRNA vaccine as suggested by previous in vitro and animal experiments (7).
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2023-07-05): Mosquitoes can transmit several deadly infectious diseases. The U.S.-owned biotechnology company Oxitec released genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida as part of a strategy to reduce the population of Aedes mosquitoes responsible for diseases like dengue and West Nile fever. However, these mosquitoes cannot transmit malaria because the parasite that causes malaria is only borne by Anopheles, a different genus of mosquito.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2023-06-30): CLAIM: Rare malaria cases reported in Florida and Texas recently were caused by a disease-control initiative backed by Bill Gates that involved releasing genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. [...] "JOIN THE DOTS - Bill Gates Funded company Oxitec released billions of mosquitoes in Florida & Texas," another tweet reads, suggesting a conspiracy is afoot to push a vaccine. "Malaria now in Florida & Texas for the first time in 20 years." [...] The foundation has indeed supported biotech company Oxitec, which is releasing modified mosquitoes in Florida as part of a disease-control initiative, though a spokesperson for the company said its U.S. work is not funded by the Gates Foundation.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2021-04-30): The Bill Gates-backed biotech firm Oxitec is going ahead with plans to release hundreds of millions of gene-altered mosquitos in Florida in order to test an experimental new form of population control, the company confirmed in a press release. The initial batch of mosquitoes was released this week. [...] Oxitec faced a backlash in August 2020, when it originally released its Florida Keys plans. In a press statement at the time, Dana Perls, the food and technology Program Manager at Friends of the Earth, said that "the release of genetically engineered mosquitoes will needlessly put Floridians, the environment and endangered species at risk in the midst of a pandemic." [...] Oxitec’s isn’t the only method for gene-altering mosquitos to curb their populations — this month, it was announced that researchers from Imperial College London have successfully altered the gut genes of mosquitos to spread antimalarial genes to their offspring. The same team had previously used the gene-editing tool CRISPR to eradicate a population of Anopheles gambiae in a lab.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2021-05-03): First genetically modified mosquitoes released in the United States [...] After a decade of fighting for regulatory approval and public acceptance, a biotechnology firm has released genetically engineered mosquitoes into the open air in the United States for the first time. The experiment, launched this week in the Florida Keys — over the objections of some local critics — tests a method for suppressing populations of wild Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which can carry diseases such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. [...] US government approves 'killer' mosquitoes to fight disease
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2021-04-30): The first release of genetically modified mosquitoes in the United States began this week in the Florida Keys – the culmination of a decade-long effort by local mosquito control authorities to see if a genetically modified organism is a viable alternative to spraying insecticides in the region. [...] First release of GMO mosquito in US The Florida Keys project, greenlit by the US Environment Protection Agency in May 2020, was approved to release up to 750 million genetically altered mosquitoes in 2021 and 2022.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2023-08-14): Because it’s passed through mating, the gene the Oxitec male mosquitoes carry only targets the An. stephensi mosquitoes. It doesn’t have any impact on other insects and cannot be established in the local ecosystem. After evaluating the potential risk of genetically modified mosquitoes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2016 and the EPA in 2022 have confirmed that the Oxitec mosquitoes do not pose a threat to humans or the environment. More than one billion Oxitec mosquitoes have been released worldwide, with no negative impacts. In Brazil, the Oxitec Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have been so successful in reducing the spread of dengue fever that they are in demand by communities, governments, and businesses in Brazil. Homeowners can even buy a kit to raise the mosquitoes in their own backyards. (If you want to learn more about this technology, I encourage you to visit the Oxitec website and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2022-09-21): The insects deliver live malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites that have been genetically modified to not get people sick. The body still makes antibodies against the weakened parasite so it's prepared to fight the real thing. [...] Mosquitoes and malaria – a toxic relationship [...] Countries try to curb malaria with mosquito netting, insecticidal sprays, anti-malarial drugs and even by releasing genetically modified mosquitoes that can't bite or lay eggs.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2021-05-05): Eradicating malaria has long been high on the list of Gates' priorities. His philanthropic investment foundation has been pouring money into various fields like malaria vaccine research for years, and he's been pushing for the idea of using genetically modified mosquitoes to eliminate the disease since 2016. That's just one year after Oxitec finished its first mass mosquito release in Brazil. "Genetically-modified mosquitoes are showing promise in controlling other vector-borne diseases, so we look forward to exploring their use alongside complementary interventions for malaria," Gates Foundation malaria director Philip Welkhoff said in a press release at the time. [...] READ MORE: Gates Foundation and Oxitec Fight Malaria with Genetically-Modified Mosquitoes [Labiotech]
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2023-06-28): Bill Gates is not himself releasing mosquitoes into the wild. However, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation did award grants that funded biotech company Oxitec's work to develop genetically modified mosquitoes that may help reduce the spread of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases in certain locations around the world. In April 2021, it was announced that Oxitec would release approximately 150,000 mosquitoes across six locations in Florida. However, the company told Snopes that this particular project was not funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. [...] Snopes readers asked our team to dig deeper into the project and its rumored funding. In short, we found that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation did award grants to biotech company Oxitec for its work to develop a new strain of genetically modified mosquitoes nicknamed "Friendly™" to help reduce the spread of malaria. In April 2021, it was announced that approximately 150,000 mosquitos would be released across six locations in Florida. [...] "Oxitec's second-generation A. aegypti are the only mosquitoes to have been released in the U.S. to date, and they are not funded by the Gates Foundation," a spokesperson for the company told Snopes, adding that the Florida project is fully funded by Oxitec. As of this writing, the project was still in Phase 1.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2023-07-03): A post on Twitter retweeted over 20,000 times says: "It must be a coincidence that from 2003-2023 there wasn’t one case of Malaria spread by mosquitos…and along comes a company funded by Bill Gates…to solve a problem that didn’t exist…and suddenly in the exact places where he releases mosquitos…there’s an outbreak of Malaria?" [...] The company has released a genetically modified mosquito species that mates with local pests in order to create offspring that won’t survive until adulthood, to reduce the pest population. The species released isn’t the one that transmits malaria, and in the US, the company’s mosquitoes have so far only been released in Florida. [...] The tweet claims a company "funded by Bill Gates" released mosquitoes "to solve a problem that didn’t exist", and that these are the "exact places" where "there’s an outbreak of malaria".
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2022-03-30): Why a U.S. Company Plans to Release 2.4 Billion Genetically Modified Mosquitoes [...] The Environmental Protection Agency has cleared the release of 2.4 billion genetically-modified mosquitoes in California and Florida. The mosquitoes, created by biotech firm Oxitec, will be non-biting Aedes aegypti males engineered to only produce viable male offspring, per the company. Oxitec says the plan will reduce numbers of the invasive Aedes aegypti, which can carry diseases like Zika, yellow fever and dengue. [...] The experiment is an extension of a pilot project that the EPA approved in 2020, the company says. In 2021, Oxitec released 144,000 genetically-modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. It also released mosquitoes in Brazil, claiming that after 13 weeks, the technology suppressed 95 percent of Aedes aegypti.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2023-07-05): Genetically modified mosquitos released in US not tied to Gates, malaria cases | Fact check [...] "Bill Gates Develops Malaria Drugs, Then Releases Genetically Modified Mosquitoes into the U.S. – Now Texas and Florida Are Detecting the Disease, Gates-Funded CDC Is Recommending Those Drugs," reads the article's headline. [...] While the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided funding to the company Oxitec for "mosquito field trials" in September 2020, none of those funds were used to release genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. The mosquitoes released by the company in April 2021 were incapable of carrying or spreading malaria.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2024-09-23): A number of widely shared posts suggest that malaria outbreaks are happening in the "exact places" that a company backed by Bill Gates has been releasing mosquitoes. The posts also note that "it must be a coincidence that from 2003-2023 there wasn’t one case of Malaria spread by mosquitos [sic]". The posts on Twitter and Facebook appear to be referring to locally-transmitted malaria cases recorded in the United States—the first such cases in the country in 20 years. But there is no evidence this has been caused by a Bill Gates-backed company which produces genetically modified mosquitoes, as the posts appear to imply. The company in question has itself described the suggestion as "scientifically impossible". [...] Given that the mosquitoes Oxitec has released are male Aedes aegypti, rather than female Anopheles, these insects can’t be the cause of any transmission of malaria.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2024-09-11): Claim: On social media, many users are making a connection between the current cases of EEE in the US and the release of genetically modified mosquitoes bred by the company Oxitec, which is sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others (here, here, here and here). [...] To combat this public health problem, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is supporting the company Oxitec, among others, which is experimenting with genetically modified mosquitoes. In 2020, the biotech company officially received permission to release the laboratory-bred mosquitoes although they had to be geographically limited to Florida. The aim is to reduce the pest population. [...] Bill Gates has often been the target of disinformation and conspiracy myths. For example, social media users also suspected that the genetically modified Oxitec mosquitoes were behind the dengue outbreak in Brazil at the beginning of the year and cases of malaria in the US in 2023.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2024-03-26): A German biotech company linked to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has had to refute claims made by social media conspiracists that it is behind a dengue fever outbreak in Brazil. Oxitec has received funds from the Gates Foundation. It develops and releases genetically modified mosquitoes to fight dengue and several other tropical diseases in various parts of the world. [...] In an investigation by AFP found that a Canadian website that the US Department of State warns is linked to Russia’s disinformation and propaganda ecosystem falsely published a story with the headline: ‘Money and Weaponized Mosquitos: Dengue Fever Surges by 400% in Brazil After Bill Gates-Backed Gene-Edited Mosquitos Released’.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2019-02-20): Scientists Release Controversial Genetically Modified Mosquitoes In High-Security Lab [...] While genetically female, the transformed insects have mouths that resemble male mosquito mouths. That means they can't bite and so can't spread the malaria parasite. In addition, the insects' reproductive organs are deformed, which means they can't lay eggs. [...] The idea is that if these modified mosquitoes are eventually shown to be safe and effective, they might someday be released in African villages plagued by malaria. The hope is that they would spread their mutation and eventually sterilize all the females. That would crash — or drastically reduce — local populations of the main species of mosquito that spreads malaria, known as Anopheles gambiae.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2022-08-15): And the mosquitoes being released don’t terrorize the local population. Far from it. They’re actually helping to save and improve millions of lives. [...] These results are a huge breakthrough, offering proof that this new technology will protect entire cities and countries against the threat of mosquito-borne diseases. The World Mosquito Program, which is leading the Wolbachia effort, is now releasing these mosquitoes in 11 countries: [...] It’s exciting to see how far the World Mosquito Program has come. Years ago, the idea of releasing mosquitoes as an ally in the fight against diseases struck many people as crazy. But support for this innovative solution has caught on in communities around the world. These amazing mosquitoes are taking flight and saving lives.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2021-05-05): Bill Gates-Funded Firm Released 150,000 Genetically Modified Mosquitoes In The Wild [...] A biotech firm funded by Bill Gates has released 150,000 genetically modified mosquitoes in the US to curb mosquito breeding and gain control over the spreading of diseases like dengue and malaria. [...] According to the study, researchers have bioengineered male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to mate with the wild female population (females are known to bite their prey and cause dengue/malaria). The genetically engineered males carry a gene that passes to their offspring and kills female progeny in early larval stages.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2024-08-19): But I have good news—for Reddit users and everyone else: Real progress has been made in the fight against mosquitoes and specifically against malaria, the deadliest disease they carry. And I believe we’ll soon have the transformational tools needed to end malaria entirely. [...] But alone, they aren’t enough. Malaria is caused by a remarkably adaptable parasite that's constantly changing and developing resistance to our drugs and interventions. Fighting it is like playing a global game of high-stakes whack-a-mole: Just when we think we've got it under control, it pops up somewhere else or in a new form. [...] As long as malaria exists anywhere, it poses a threat everywhere. That’s why, at the Gates Foundation, our approach to the disease has always been two-pronged: Using current interventions to save lives and alleviate suffering, while laying the groundwork for a malaria-free future.
Claim: Bill Gates-funded company released genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and caused a malaria outbreak (Facebook Users, 2023-07-05)
Evidence (2016-02-26): I read on the Internet that genetically modified mosquitoes released by the Bill Gates Foundation caused the Zika virus. Is that true? [...] The rumor began on Jan. 25 with a Reddit thread titled: "Genetically modified mosquitoes released in Brazil in 2015 linked to the current Zika epidemic?" Reddit is an news/entertainment networking service, where registered community members submit content. FactCheck.org reports that some media outlets, including Fox News, The Ecologist and The Daily Mail spread the rumor. Some websites, such as Natural News, also said that Bill Gates was involved. (The Gates name was probably included because the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided $19.7 million for a project to develop and test GM mosquitoes, according to Science.)