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Two Doctors Known for COVID Misinfo Now Reinstated on Twitter

— Malone and McCullough continue to make false claims about vaccine safety

MedpageToday
A photo of the Twitter logo on the headquarters in San Francisco, California.

Two physicians accused of spreading COVID misinformation who were previously banned from Twitter are back on the platform.

Robert W. Malone, MD, a self-described "skeptic of mRNA vaccines" who has argued that Pfizer and Moderna inoculations against the virus worsen infections, on Dec. 12, " I'm back...Welcome to Fifth Gen (Information) Warfare The battleground is consensus of the swarm and your own mind."

Likewise, Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH, a cardiologist who recommended that patients infected with COVID could improve if they received hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin and who badmouthed public health COVID recommendations, on Dec. 13:

"Alright everyone, I am back on Twitter! Let's see my verification and completely uncensored, no unfollow programs, no bots assigned to me, and absolutely no shadow-banning. Let the world hear the medical truth (98% want it) on the pandemic and more! @elonmusk."

McCullough was reportedly banned from the platform in October after he reposted a video that Pfizer's COVID vaccine had caused lethal myocarditis that resulted in deaths of children.

McCullough, who was vice chief of internal medicine with Baylor Scott & White Health until he signed a confidential severance agreement in February last year, is being sued by that organization because he allegedly continued to tout his affiliation long after he left.

In his most recent tweets since his account was revived, McCullough is still attributing patient deaths to the COVID vaccine rather than the virus, and arguing against vaccination mandates.

On Wednesday, he : "the mass mandated programs have not ended the pandemic and have not lowered mortality. In fact its [sic] just the opposite. Where the products were heavily used in mandated programs like Australia, mortality has skyrocketed."

Malone continues to criticize medical organizations for requiring COVID boosters to attend their conferences and argues that the coronavirus is not nearly as deadly as it has proven to be.

On Wednesday, Malone from an article, "Pfizer is playing a game with the government and the public -- or maybe the company and the government are playing a game with the public. Leverage the momentum of COVID-19, exploit existing subpar vaccine products, and make even more money on a combined product..."

Malone has the Washington Post for $50.3 million alleging he was defamed by the January , "A vaccine scientist's discredited claims have bolstered a movement of misinformation."

Late last year, Twitter labeled some of Malone's tweets as "misleading." For example, on Dec. 29, 2021, "Pfizer 6 month data which shows that Pfizer's COVID-19 inoculations cause more illness than they prevent. Plus an overview of the Pfizer trial flaws in both design and execution," Twitter appended that post with "Misleading. Learn why health officials consider COVID-19 safe for most people."

  • author['full_name']

    Cheryl Clark has been a medical & science journalist for more than three decades.