51 percent of unvaccinated individuals think the COVID-19 vaccine contains a microchip
In the latest in head-scratching news, one in five Americans believes the COVID-19 vaccine contains a microchip, a recent Economist/YouGov poll reveals.
When respondents were asked how likely they thought it to be true that "the U.S. government is using [the vaccine] to microchip the population," 20 percent of U.S. adults said they thought it "definitely/probably true" and 14 percent weren't sure. 66 percent denied such a claim as "definitely/probably false." Notably, when broken down by vaccination status, 51 percent of "vaccine rejectors" believed the microchip theory, as opposed to just 9 percent of those who are fully vaccinated.
On a more broad level, 85 percent of those who don't want to get vaccinated believed the "threat of the coronavirus was exaggerated for political reasons."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Economist and YouGov surveyed 1,500 people between July 10-13, 2021. Results have a margin of error of approximately 3 percent. See more results at YouGov.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Today's political cartoons - January 25, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - holey commandments, full marks, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 inexcusably hilarious cartoons about pardon-happy presidents
Cartoons Artists take on raising stakes, pearly gates, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Spicy air-fried peking duck recipe
The Week Recommends This delicious recipe is ideal to serve at Lunar New Year celebrations
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Study finds possible alternative abortion pill
Speed Read An emergency contraception (morning-after) pill called Ella could be an alternative to mifepristone for abortions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
HMPV is spreading in China but there's no need to worry
The Explainer Respiratory illness is common in winter
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Marty Makary: the medical contrarian who will lead the FDA
In the Spotlight What Johns Hopkins surgeon and commentator Marty Makary will bring to the FDA
By David Faris Published
-
California declares bird flu emergency
Speed Read The emergency came hours after the nation's first person with severe bird flu infection was hospitalized
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu one mutuation from human threat, study finds
Speed Read A Scripps Research Institute study found one genetic tweak of the virus could enable its spread among people
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dark chocolate tied to lower diabetes risk
Speed Read The findings were based on the diets of about 192,000 US adults over 34 years
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ACA opens 2025 enrollment, enters 2024 race
Speed Read Mike Johnson promises big changes to the Affordable Care Act if Trump wins the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
McDonald's sued over E. coli linked to burger
Speed Read The outbreak has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states and left one dead
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published