Did the World Health Organization change the definition of a pandemic by removing the criterion "infectious disease with high mortality"? No, that's not true: Similar claims surfaced online in 2009 during the declaration of the H1N1 influenza pandemic by the Health Organization. The declaration was based on criteria revolving around the incidence and spread of the virus across various World…

Is poor air quality in Zagreb the result of poison being sprayed from airplanes? No, that's not true: According to the Andrija Štampar Institute of Public Health, it is common to experience reduced air quality during winter months due to an increase in the concentration of floating particles in the air. Spraying plumes of poison from airplanes, creating so-called chemtrails,…

Did the mayor of Zadar, Branko Dukić, ban a concert of popular Serbian pop-folk singer Aleksandra Prijović in the Croatian city? No, that's not true: After the news of his alleged ban on Prijović's concert in Zadar spread in the Croatian and Serbian media, Dukić promptly denied it in a public statement as false. The claim appeared in a video…

Is there a vaccine in the form of a patch against Disease X? No, that's not true: Disease X is not a known disease. It is the name given by scientists and the World Health Organization to a hypothetical disease caused by an unknown pathogen that could potentially emerge in the future and cause a serious international epidemic or pandemic.…

Does the ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine contain African green monkey kidney cells, fetal bovine serum and aborted human fetal cells? No, that's not true: It does not contain fetal bovine serum or aborted human fetal cells. Instead, it uses African green monkey kidney (Vero) cells that were replicated in a laboratory. The utilization of cell lines derived from decades-old fetal and…

Did Klaus Schwab write "You will own nothing and be happy" in his 2020 book "COVID-19: The Great Reset"? No, that's not true: The book contains no such quote. Additionally, neither Schwab nor the World Economic Forum, which he founded, advocate for abolishing private ownership of goods and property. The phrase may have originated from a Danish member of parliament…

Is the ultimate goal of the EU Chips Act the implantation of chips in the human brain? No, that's not true: The EU Chips Act, which entered into force on September 21, 2023, aims to increase microchip production across the continent in response to rising demand and to reduce dependency on suppliers from outside Europe. The claim appeared in a…

Is the European Union planning to ban the repair of cars older than 15 years? No, that's not true: On July 23, 2023, the European Commission announced a proposal for a regulation on circularity requirements for vehicle design and on the management of end-of-life vehicles. That would apply to vehicles reaching end-of-life stage (ELVs) and not to cars older than…

Does a video circulating on social media show how a microchip is removed from under the skin? No, that's not true: The video is an excerpt from a Netflix show called "Magic for Humans," in which magician and comedian Justin Willman convinces three people that the government has implanted a microchip under their skin, and agrees to "remove" it. The…

Did Croatia Airlines install a system for releasing chemtrails from its planes without the knowledge of the public? No, that's not true: The 2015 article on which the claim is based is satirical, with a disclaimer at the end. Croatia Airlines denied the claim in a written statement in 2020. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok…

Are newborn children in Serbia being "vaccinated with two doses immediately after birth" without their parents' knowledge or approval? No, that's not true: In Serbia, vaccinations against certain infectious diseases are mandatory by law. Newborns are vaccinated against tuberculosis and Hepatitis B. Public awareness of mandatory vaccination is widespread, and Serbian law also requires public health institutes to inform health…

Is the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil causing systemic autoimmune disorder in young girls due to the aluminum adjuvant it contains? No, that's not true: The safety of the vaccine is rigorously monitored by both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. According to the European Medicines Agency, there is no credible evidence…

Did the Croatian President Zoran Milanović state that the Republic of Croatia plans on occupying Russia? No, that's not true: In 2022, Zoran Milanović made a satirical comment about the Croatian Electricity Company (HEP) and gas prices, saying that it's time to overrun Moscow in order to settle the matter with gas prices. His comment was a joke, not an…

Does George Soros finance the Croatian parliamentary party Možemo! (We Can!)? No, that's not true: Croatian law prohibits the financing of Croatian political parties by foreign countries, foreign political parties, foreign legal entities, or foreign natural persons. A party spokesperson contacted by Lead Stories blamed right-wing parties for promoting the false claim linking the left-leaning party to widely debunked conspiracy…

Is medical insurance, along with other rights, being terminated for Croatians while migrants have them for free? No, that's not true: In Croatia, medical insurance is mandatory for all residents and foreigners with approved residence. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok by @kinginvictus33 on January 10, 2024, under the title (translated from Croatian to English by…

Do migrants in Croatia receive 20,000 euros, or $21,705, which is four times more than an average pensioner gets annually? No, that's not true: Minister of Internal Affairs Davor Božinović rejected the claims made by parliamentarians that Croatia should pay someone 20,000 euros for each migrant. The claim appeared in a video on TikTok on January 6, 2024. It began…

Did the Croatian government warn health care workers against the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines but hide them from the citizens? No, that's not true: The Croatian Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (HALMED) has published news about vaccines against COVID disease and other topics from a meeting of the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) on its…

Will livestock farming on the island of Krk be destroyed by competition from the Redefine Meat Company, which produces plant-based meat-like products? No, that's not true: The Krški Pašnjaci association protested poor conditions for livestock farmers in Croatia on December 2, 2023. However, Redefine Meat was not mentioned as one of their concerns, nor were any other companies. The claim…

Is HDZ, the leading political party in Croatia, trying to cause a famine to eventually "populate Croatia with migrants"? No, that's not true: HDV is not trying to "starve Croatians to death"; it has implemented measures against the African swine fever outbreak, which has affected the country since June 26, 2023. Several documents, laws, and state and European Union-level orders…

Are Europe, the Croatian government and the media planning on emptying Slavonija, Baranja and the mountainous parts of Croatia to make room for migrants? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Croatian authorities are implementing a depopulation policy or that the country is being systematically emptied. Croatia has had a severe population decline for several years for various…