Misinformation spreads online: O.J. Simpson’s death unrelated to COVID-19 vaccination

O.J. Simpson, a football star who was acquitted in the murder of his ex-wife and her friend, died of cancer on April 10 at age 76. Misinformation spread online within hours of the news. Social media posts falsely claimed that the cancer was related to his COVID-19 vaccination. Simpson was vaccinated, but there is no evidence that vaccination causes cancer or that it was to blame for his death. Conspiracy theorists and vaccine opponents quickly spun the death of O.J. Simpson into anti-vaccination fodder, even though his death was unrelated.Simpson, a football star who was acquitted in 1995 of the murder of his ex-wife and her friend, died of cancer at age 76 on April 10, his family announced on social media the following day.Within hours of the announcement, posts began circulating online claiming that his death was related to his vaccination against COVID-19.Some of them advanced the widespread but false claim that COVID-19 vaccines cause “turbo cancer.”“How’d that vaccine safety belt work out for ya OJ? #TurboCancer,” said one post on Instagram.Simpson received the COVID-19 vaccine shortly after it became available, sharing a picture of himself getting the shot in January 2021. He also advocated for others to get...