False claims that the FDA approved pesticides and cigarettes circulated after the agency issued full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Aug. 23. But the FDA doesn’t set limits for pesticides in food and never approved cigarettes. Let’s take a look at the facts.

NewsLit takeaway

Full FDA approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Aug. 23 marked an important regulatory milestone that cleared the way for more employers and institutions to implement vaccine mandates. It’s also the latest sign that the vaccine is safe and effective. Anti-vaccination activists responded to the news by flooding social media with disinformation about the FDA. These falsehoods appeal to many people who are experiencing cognitive dissonance about the vaccine’s full approval.

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• “No, the FDA hasn’t approved cigarettes, or any tobacco product”
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• “Fact-checking a claim about the FDA’s role in approving pesticides in food”
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