Five anti-vaccine groups received more than $850,000 from the paycheck protection program (PPP), according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a UK-based group which fights misinformation and hate speech online.
Congress created PPP loans to help small businesses hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. But documents obtained via a lawsuit brought by multiple news organizations showed groups that have promoted anti-vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories online also received the funds.
The groups are the National Vaccine Information Center, Mercola Com Health Resources, Informed Consent Action Network, Childrenâs Health Defense Co and the Tenpenny Integrative Medical Center.
Two Covid-19 vaccines, made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, have received emergency use authorization in the US. Trials for both involved tens of thousands of people and showed both had 95% efficacy.
The Austin-based group founded by anti-vaccine activist Del Bigtree regularly posts information questioning the safety of the coronavirus vaccines. Doctors and scientists say both the Moderna and the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.