Vaccine disinfo thrives on YouTube’s The Jimmy Dore Show
Vaccine disinformation has kicked into high gear on YouTube, specifically on The Jimmy Dore Show, despite the platform claiming they’re banning it. Beloved by the racist cesspool The Donald and racking up over 902,000 subscribers, Dore’s uptick in vaccine disinfo coincides with a Fox News Insider’s revelation that the anti-COVID-mandate segments and vaccine-resistant commentary have been ‘great for ratings.’
Claim: Taking the vaccine is 6 times more likely to cause myocarditis
The far-right anti-vaxxer and Assad apologist Max Blumenthal touted a debunked, non-peer reviewed study (withdrawn due to a math error) to undermine confidence in the safe, life-saving vaccines, lying that taking the vaccine is six times more likely to cause myocarditis, despite myocarditis not being reported in 99.9 percent of the vaccinated cases.
Reality: In 99.99 percent of cases, COVID-19 vaccines did not cause myocarditis
The study said falsely that around one in 1,000 vaccinated patients develop a heart condition called myocarditis and suffer an increased death rate, but Poynter reported that in Israel the vaccine was administered to young people with “very, very few cases of heart inflammation after vaccination.”
Montreal cardiologist and epidemiologist Dr. Christopher Labos explained to CBC: “Even if you took the worst-case scenario, it doesn’t happen in 99.9 per cent of cases. So the vast majority of people, even young people, are going to get vaccinated and not have an issue with myocarditis.”
Claim: President Joe Biden received a fake COVID-19 booster shot during a staged event
During the monetized October 7 edition of The Jimmy Dore Show, the eponymous host falsely said that “maybe they set up a fake house on a stage for press,” adding, “I don’t know if you noticed but this is totally fucking made up.”
Reality: The backdrop behind the President is frequently used for media events, and Biden was vaccinated with real COVID-19 booster shot
USA Today reported that the backdrop behind the President is frequently used for media events, and visual evidence shows the needle being inserted into Biden’s upper arm.
(Kurt Metzger, a guest at Dore’s “comedy” venue, then falsely referred to the President as “an old man with dementia.”)
Claim: Unvaccinated National Guard, with no medical training, are replacing unvaccinated state employees
In an October 8 video, Jimmy Dore planted the false idea in his audience’s heads that the National Guard in Connecticut and New York — expected to replace unvaccinated state employees — have no medical training and are unvaccinated.
“Could you imagine being the National Guard guy telling your girlfriend I just got deployed to a CVS minute clinic,” Dore said. “Hey, I’m having trouble breathing — go see Gomer Pyle. It’s weird that they would do that. I’m sure that their basic training covers intubation.”
“What they’re doing is the government is replacing unvaxxed, qualified medical workers with unvaxxed, unqualified medical workers,” Dore said.
Reality: State employees are being replaced with out-of-state-employees and National Guards, who are vaccinated and medically-qualified
Reuters reported that the plan in New York would increase the supply of healthcare workers to include out-of-state licensed professionals and retired nurses, who are vaccinated.
Independent reports:
As for Connecticut, Hartford Courant explains, “State officials have been trying to ensure that employees are vaccinated or submit to weekly testing — as required by an executive order by Lamont.”
Major David Pytlik, a spokesman for the National Guard, said: “As an organization, we have a variety of different types of units, and our members have a variety of different civilian skill sets.”
Claim: Natural immunity from previous infection is better than getting vaccinated
On October 6, Dore uploaded a video to his YouTube channel titled “Twisted Hate Of Unvaxxed By Establishment Press,” that video has garnered nearly 163,000 views and features the false claim that natural immunity from previous infection is better than getting vaccinated.
Reality: Vaccination develops immunity without risks of death and health complications, making it the safer choice
Vaccination develops immunity without risks of death and health complications, making it the safer choice, as Poynter reported.
Media Matters reported that multiple medical experts have cast skepticism on the claim that natural immunity from previous infection is superior to being vaccinated, and reported that Dore’s video may violate YouTube’s new policy that supposedly bans “claims that vaccines do not reduce transmission or contraction of disease.”
Epidemiologist Dr. Eroc Feigl-Ding wrote on Twitter, “JUST IN — After seemingly recovering from #COVID19, a 16-year old boy has just died after diagnosed with post-COVID pediatric inflammatory multi-system syndrome (PIMS). Doctors now say “we are seeing a rise in PIMS in recent weeks”. The boy was unvaccinated.”
Claim: Vaccine mandates are anti-science
Dore also falsely claimed on October 6 that vaccine mandates are anti-science, but most people didn’t quit over the mandates.
Reality: Vaccine mandates are pro-science and supported by The American Medical Association
The American Medical Association “supports greater and stronger use of vaccine mandates by public and private sector employers and other organizations for the populations recommended to receive the vaccine by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.”
Correction: I said myocarditis is not being reported in 99.99% of the vaccinated cases, but it is in 99.9% of cases.