Correcting this week’s misinformation: week of May 7, 2026

A viral video claims tetanus shots are unsafe, not very helpful, rarely needed, and that taking vitamin C is a better way to prevent or survive tetanus.

Tetanus, or lockjaw, is a disease caused by the toxin produced by the Clostridium tetani bacteria. The bacteria are often in dirt and soil, not just in manure, like the video claims. Tetanus can cause severe, painful muscle spasms and rigidity, primarily in the jaw and neck. That’s why it is called “lockjaw.” Even with treatment, it can be fatal in about 10% of people who have it.

The bacteria are anaerobic, which means that they cannot survive in oxygen. When oxygen is present or the environment isn’t best for their survival, the bacteria will form spores and go dormant until conditions improve. The spore can happen because of the oxygen.

At one time, the toxin was made using a mix that included Beef Heart Infusion. But for the past 20 years, companies have used other options made from plants. The screenshot in the video came from a study that is more than 20 years old. That study showed a different mix that does not have a risk of mad cow disease and does not have a risk for people with dairy allergies.

The post also speaks to Vitamin C and cites Klenner and “other modern reports.” This study concludes that “single, non-randomised, poorly reported trial of vitamin C as a treatment for tetanus suggests a considerable reduction in mortality. However, concerns about trial quality mean that this result must be interpreted with caution and vitamin C cannot be recommended as a treatment for tetanus on the basis of this evidence”

In the end, before the vaccine, there were still hundreds of cases of tetanus per year with an over 10% fatality rate. Since 1947, reported tetanus cases have declined more than 95%, and reported deaths have declined more than 99%. Get your tetanus booster!

A newer study looked at the data from the so-called “Inconvenient Study” talked about in a September 2025 Senate hearing. The study says that vaccines, especially the full childhood schedule, can cause more illness, brain and behavior problems, and long-term health issues, and that they may not be as safe as people are told.

Dan Wilson, in a Debunk the Funk video, explains that the “inconvenient study” and film made about it are misleading. The study was never published due to serious flaws. It compared vaccinated and unvaccinated children, but the vaccinated kids were seen by doctors more often and followed longer. The vaccinated children were more likely to be diagnosed with conditions, even if they were not actually sicker.

The new study does not prove that vaccines cause chronic disease. Because it uses the same dataset from the original study. But in science, this kind of comparison only works if the groups are truly similar. In this case, they were not. The children differed in important ways, like birth conditions and early health, which can affect chronic conditions.

Another major problem is how the study counts illness. Conditions like ADHD, asthma, and allergies are not automatically detected. Children need to see a provider and be evaluated to be diagnosed. If one group of children sees doctors more often, they are more likely to be diagnosed, even if they are not actually sicker.

When we compare this study to much stronger research, the claims fall apart. For example, a long-term population study reviewed by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found “no association… with asthma… food allergies or hay fever.” This directly contradicts the idea that vaccines cause asthma or allergies. In addition, a major medical review published in Pediatrics concluded that “large well-controlled epidemiologic studies do not support” the idea that vaccines cause allergic or autoimmune diseases. This conclusion includes diseases like diabetes, which is an autoimmune condition.

The study’s claims about vaccine ingredients also do not match high-quality evidence. A large study looking at aluminum in vaccines found “no associated health risks” for autoimmune, allergic, or neurological conditions. Anti-vaxxers suggest that vaccine ingredients are harmful, but strong evidence shows they are not linked to these diseases.

The autism claim is especially weak because it has already been tested many times. Studies show that autism is mostly caused by genetics and starts very early, even before a baby is born. The brain differences seen in people with autism begin during early development in the womb, not because of vaccines or anything that happens later.

A video from a COVID roundtable discussion led by Senator Ron Johnson is going around again. In it, Senator Johnson says that government officials ignored warning signs that COVID vaccines might cause serious side effects and hid this information from the public.

Governments, healthcare organizations, and drug companies worked together to create vaccines quickly during the pandemic. The U.S. government even helped pay for vaccine development to make them available to everyone. Vaccines didn’t just save lives—they also saved money. The U.S. campaign saved an estimated $1.15 trillion by preventing over 3.2 million deaths and millions of hospital stays.

The CDC and FDA also closely monitor vaccine safety through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and other systems. If side effects are found, they are fully investigated, and action is taken if needed.