What happens when government officials suppress their own research? Reports of FDA studies finding COVID and shingles vaccines safe were withheld from publication. What can we expect when ideology begins to outweigh evidence? From the rise of ivermectin as a supposed COVID cure to the politics surrounding vaccines, Dr. Fauci, and public trust in science, let's dive into how misinformation spreads, why conspiracy theories are so persuasive, and what is at stake when institutions abandon facts in favor of narratives.

Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/NiNjNcFUyJU

Sources
• FDA blocked publication of its own studies finding COVID and shingles vaccines safe — original Reuters/New York Times reporting, May 5, 2026. Reuters / NYT report (via U.S. News, https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2026-05-05/us-fda-blocked-research-publication-that-covid-and-shingles-vaccines-are-safe-nyt-reports)
• Reuters story — Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-fda-blocked-research-publication-that-covid-shingles-vaccines-are-safe-nyt-2026-05-05/)
• Background on the ivermectin-as-COVID-cure misinformation — BBC News — ivermectin and COVID (https://www.bbc.com/news/health-58170809)
• The “cult of personality” framing — Reason — J.D. Tuccille, “The Republican Party Is Nothing More Than a Cult of Trump” (May 22, 2026) https://reason.com/2026/05/22/the-republican-party-is-nothing-more-than-a-cult-of-trump/
FDA vaccine-study suppression
• FDA halts publication of COVID and shingles vaccine studies — The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/05/05/fda-blocks-covid-shingles-vaccine-studies/)
• FDA withdrew studies finding COVID and shingles vaccines were safe — CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/05/fda-studies-covid-shingles-vaccines-safe.html
• Experts react, including Dr. Aaron Kesselheim of Harvard — Healthline (expert reaction, “censorship” quote) (https://www.healthline.com/health-news/fda-blocks-publication-covid-shingles-vaccine-safety-studies)
Ivermectin is not effective against COVID-19
• Official FDA guidance, including the “You are not a horse” campaign — FDA — “Ivermectin and COVID-19” https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/ivermectin-and-covid-19
• Why ivermectin should not be used to treat or prevent COVID-19 — American Medical Association https://www.ama-assn.org/public-health/infectious-diseases/why-ivermectin-should-not-be-used-prevent-or-treat-covid-19
• “No indication that ivermectin is clinically useful” — TOGETHER trial summary (McMaster University, ~1,400 patients) https://www.aol.com/no-indication-ivermectin-clinically-useful-184023636.html
• EMA advises against ivermectin for COVID outside clinical trials — European Medicines Agency https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/ema-advises-against-use-ivermectin-prevention-treatment-covid-19-outside-randomised-clinical-trials
The campaign against Dr. Anthony Fauci
• GOP escalation of attacks on Fauci, including prosecution calls — The Hill https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4706462-gop-fauci-crosshairs-criminality/
• Fauci responds to accusations in the pandemic-origin probe — Science (AAAS) https://www.science.org/content/article/fauci-fends-off-covid-19-accusations-pandemic-origin-probe
• Man arrested for threatening to kill Fauci and his family — BuzzFeed News https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nicolefallert/dr-fauci-death-threats

Senani P at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons