Correcting this week’s misinformation: week of April 2, 2026

Steve Kirsch, the inventor of the optical mouse, says a new paper shows that people who get the shingles vaccine are 11 times more likely to get shingles.

This paper does not exactly match the claims. It found that after the first dose of the shingles vaccine, adults age 65 and older had a small, short-term increase in shingles cases during the first 21 days. After that, the risk goes away. After the second dose, the overall risk of getting shingles drops by 73%.

Even during that short period of higher risk, the shingles cases were rare (about 6.3 out of 1,000 people) and usually mild. There was no increase in serious pain (called postherpetic neuralgia), no rise in antiviral medication use, and no increase in hospital visits.

Most importantly, the researchers said that the long-term benefits of the shingles vaccine are much greater than the small, temporary risks seen after the first dose.

In a letter to RFK Jr., Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin claims that the government knew that COVID vaccines cause strokes but stopped looking into it.

Senator Johnson based his claims on reports from a system called the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS. This is a public reporting system where anyone can submit a report about a health problem after vaccination. However, these reports do not prove that a vaccine caused the problem. The VAERS website clearly warns that reports may be incomplete, inaccurate, or coincidental, and the data has limits when used for scientific conclusions.

Many studies have looked at the safety of COVID vaccines. These studies show that the vaccines are safe for most people. One study also points out that getting very sick with COVID can greatly raise the risk of a stroke (when blood flow to the brain is blocked) and other blood clots. This happens because the illness can cause strong inflammation (the body’s intense response to infection) and make the blood clot more easily than normal.

Overall, research shows that the benefits of COVID vaccines are much greater than the small risks that may be linked to them.

In a video, anti-vaccine lawyer Mary Holland claims that the military only allows its members to get 5 vaccines at a time while babies get 10 vaccines at a time.

When new recruits arrive at basic training, they often receive several vaccines close together, sometimes on the same day. The exact number is not fixed. Some recruits may receive only two or three shots if they are already up to date. Others may receive more, often between 5 and 9, depending on their medical history and what they need.

There is also a longer list of vaccines used by the military, and in total it can include up to 19 different vaccines. However, no single recruit receives all of these at once. The number and timing depend on each person’s needs, their job, and where they may be sent.

For babies, vaccines are also based on their needs, but those needs are very similar for almost all babies. Doctors follow a standard schedule because babies’ immune systems are still developing, and they face many of the same risks at the same ages. While babies may receive several vaccines during one visit, these are carefully tested and planned to be safe and effective when given together.

There is no simple rule like “only five at a time” for the military. The number of vaccines given at once depends on medical guidance and individual needs, not a strict limit.