Some 20% of Americans believe in the conspiracy theory that microchips may have been planted inside COVID-19 vaccines that millions of people have already taken worldwide, according to a study by YouGov and The Economist that was conducted last week.
Despite a lack of evidence to support such a claim, the poll concluded overall that 15% of Americans said this conspiracy theory was “probably true” while another 5% said it was “definitely true.”
Content has been published on social media regarding the microchip theory, with many conspiracy theorists saying that COVID-19 is just a coverup for world governments and corporations to track millions of people using vaccines.
Other conspiracy theorists have targeted Bill and Melinda Gates, saying they have been behind this so-called plot. In response, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation told the BBC that this is completely “false.”
I would have thought that 1% of Americans believing in such a conspiracy theory would have been quite high; 20% is downright spooky.
I just don’t know how, or why, such conspiracy theories get started. Is it one person, or is there a core group of people who will always promote the latest conspiracy?
What is the goal of spreading such theories? Is it to create fear? Do these individuals believe they are really doing a public service by promoting such beliefs?
It seems to me that this conspiracy theory could actually cost lives, by convincing people who were on the fence about getting the vaccine to opt not to get it, which could lead to those individuals getting COVID.
I just hope the conspiracy doesn’t gain any more traction than it already has, and that the theorists will find a new conspiracy to promote.
Maybe I’ll try and start one myself.
Have you heard that the real voice behind Borden’s Blather is David Letterman, and that once he gets enough followers, he’s going to stage a coup and take over The Tonight Show…
source: The Jerusalem Post
20% is downright scary. I really hoped as a society that we were smarter than that. Also good luck with the coup Dave.
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maybe it was a biased sample…
and hopefully the Leterman conspiracy starts to get some traction 🙂
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I highly doubt the legitimacy of such polling. If you distrust media narratives that much, why would you respond to a poll from a mainstream news organization? That said, I have talked to people who believe this. I actually find it an intriguing conspiracy theory after the push for vaccine passports on cellphones, which would essentially accomplish the same thing. It’s not that the authorities object to microchipping people through vaccines, it’s that there are way more efficient ways to do surveillance.
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or maybe the respondents were jsut having fun with the pollsters. It would have been interesting to see what other conspiracies those questioned believe in. And Google Maps is awesome at surveillance…
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Yes it is.
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A recent survey also showed that some 53% of the people in this country still believe the Big Lie, that Trump actually won the 2020 election, despite some 7 million+ more votes being cast for President Biden. Couple that with this crazy notion that microchips were implanted along with the vaccine (not even remotely possible even if somebody wanted to do it!) and I have my own conspiracy theory. I think that when these people were babies, perhaps immediately after birth, doctors removed a portion of their brain … that portion which allows them to actually THINK for themselves! The only other possible explanation is that the Internet has made it so easy for them to be spoon fed this garbage that they no longer even seek answers outside what they are being fed by the likes of Fox ‘News’ and social media pundits. Why, you ask, do people start these conspiracy theories? Who knows? Maybe they’re bored and they just want to throw a bone into a pack of dogs, then sit back and watch the ensuing fight. I don’t understand it, but it is doing untold damage to this country and the stupidity of some of the people depresses the heck out of me.
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53%?! that is crazy – more than half the population thinks Trump won?
and there may be something to your theory.
but your’re right, these theories do a lot of damage to our country…
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Yep … more than half the people in this country believe the Big Lie without ever seeing a single shred of evidence to support it. Never have I seen this country as divided as it is today … it feels a bit like a pot that is about to boil over any minute.
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I could see all the Republicans believing such a lie, but there must be a lot of Democrats that think the same way…
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Sigh. Brainwashed. That’s the only explanation I can think of.
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I think that’s the best explanation…
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What a stupid conspiracy theory. Everyone knows that the vaccine contains a salubrious serum that enlightens the brain to the beauty of socialism, and stimulates an uncontrollable urge to vote for Democrats. Well, at least everyone who’s taken the vaccine knows this.
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so that would explain a lot of my behavior…
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Yeah, that 20 percent number is absolutelt bonkers. Don’t people think that the government monitoring our devices is enough? What would the end goal be of having trackers in people be anyways?
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if you start to think it through, it seems like it breaks down as a possible conpsiracy pretty quickly…
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Our species, the pinnacle of evolution on Earth, at its best. lol
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makes you proud to be part of the human race…
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The virus will kill off a number of these idiots sorry to say. Thus improving the gene pool marginally because many will have already multiplied.
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let’s hope they see the light and get the vaccination…
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I got the vaccine so I could get a free microchip.
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Now that is what I call leaning into an issue!
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some people just want a microchip… 🙂
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They probably chipped me in the Marines, so I think I am still good….
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or at least put a chip in your dog tags…
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seems like a good deal, especially given the shortage of such chips…
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Over 4,000,000 dead worldwide, and yet many are still in denial. My next-door neighbor (only 52) was one of the victims. I remember him telling me when Covid started that it was all fake. His girlfriend and son also got it, but they recovered. All three never got vaccinated. I understand people’s hesitancy but not the conspiracy theories.
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wow, that’s a shame. hopefully your neighbors’s situation encouraged some people onthe fence to get the vaccine…
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I hope so, but if it hasn’t happened yet, one has to wonder. I did see that even Sean Hannity is now advising people to get vaccinated. Imagine if that had happened from the start.
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I’m glad he is; I wonder if Tucker Carlson is…
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That is a high statistic, Jim. There are a lot of people in South Africa who also don’t want the vaccine because they think the government is trying to control them. Many people here are tribal so they do what their tribal leaders tell them to do.
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it seems like we have tribal leaders in the U.S. as well…
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I find this theory particularly odd as our ubiquitous use of cell phones eliminates any need to track us with a micro chip. I am all for being a little wary of a governments intentions and it is good to question things for clarity, but this virus is no joke. It will kill you regardless of your theories or political leanings. Republicans have successfully made this a political issue and a large percentage of those refusing the vaccine are Republican supporters. Now, more than 99% who are dying from the virus are unvaccinated. I am not sure how letting your constituents die helps in the next election.
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it does seem like a strange strategy. and in an odd twist, I just opted to have Google Maps track every trip I take.
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Governments, at least in democratic countries, have little interest in tracking us. The information gathered would only serve the next administration which could be of a different party. Google, Amazon, Facebook, etc. have big incentives. They can make money off of that info and even sell it to governments or political parties.
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“0% is frightening – but then, look at the anti-evolutionists. Maybe it’s something in the education system?
But then… religion is in decline. People gotta believe in something
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yes, people are desperate for some charismatic leader to tell them what to do. we have a person like that in the U.S.
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(I meant that comment to say 20%, but you get the message all the same.)
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👍
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We have lunatics here too, who believe in rubbish like that. It’s scary that they walk and talk, move among us and have a vote – until it is taken away from them. How many millions of followers does Letterman need you to get to effect his coup?
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the world is crazy; maybe it always has been.
I need, I mean Ltterman needs, as many followers as he can get…
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Plenty of evidence to support that. Tell Letterman he needs to shave off that beard – it makes him look like what we call a tramp, or hobo in your language…
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the beard it terrible; he looks like a bum…
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Yeah, that’s what I meant 😂
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🙂
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Scary and dangerous. Like you, I thought that the percentage is a lot smaller. I just read today that only 56% of Americans had their first dose. Between the regular anti-vaxxers (22%) and the paranoid anti-trackers (20%), there are 44% that don’t get vaccinated. I’m sure that there is some overlap between the two groups, but still, huge numbers of stupid.
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yes, the % is crazy high…
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Crazy being the operative word here 🙂
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most definitey…
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Well, here’s my explanation. Intelligence of Americans roughly fits within a bell-curve distribution with most of the people not far from average in the middle somewhere.
But there are those people on the far left of the bell curve who are very gullible and lack critical thinking skills. They believe in the vaccine conspiracy theories, deny science where they want to, they follow religiously the orange conman. They think that crap they read on social media is real and reject legitimate journalism. The people on the smart side of the bell curve look upon these people in amazement at their stupidity, but they really are that stupid.
The internet has really enabled the most stupid among us to fall for any pack of BS no matter how ridiculous it seems to the rest of us. Facebook, YouTube, et. al. have been very effective at allowing stupidity to flourish; in fact, that seems to be their main contribution to our culture.
I can only hope that the stupid people in other countries are at least as stupid as ours.
And, most people carry around a GPS device with a camera and microphone all of which is controlled by some other company that they have quickly signed away their rights to when they bought the thing. And they use this device to track and post all of the most private parts of their lives to the world. But yeah, vaccine microchips.
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good analysis. And I’m guilty of letting my phone track me, with apps like Google maps.
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Even if you turn all that stuff off, I am not sure how really turned off it is.
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that’s probably true…
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Given the number of people believing dozens of other conspiracy theories circulating, I think the 15% / 5% figures are surprisingly low. I can open the CNN webpage any day of the week and find articles about people supporting theories that I think are laughably false. Of course, I’ve been known to float my own conspiracy theories. Just read my post where I question the supposed circumstances of the flight 93 crash.
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I just read your post on flight 93; I’ll have to read a bit more about it. at first glamce, maybe it’s not so far fetched. I love the title of the post as well…
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Social media breathes life into some of the darkest and most bizarre topics. I’m still trying to figure out how the microchip fit into a tiny syringe. Better to watch old clips of “The Tonight Show” as Johnny starts a nationwide panic about a toilet paper shortage. No fooling!
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I don’t remember that Johnny Carson bit, but such gags seem so harmless now…
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Not surprising when there is social media attracting people’s opinions … and allows them to be stated as the truth. In the time of post and the pony express it wasn’t such an issue … but I fear it has always been a part of American culture.
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I think you are right, Val. From the flat earth belief to microchips, there are always some fringe groups out there. But today those fringe groups have a louder voice because of social media…
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frightening how many believe these things. i’m quite sure about letterman/blather theory however, i heard it from a reliable friend –
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my conspiracy theory seems to be spreading like wildfie; I’ve picked up four followers this week… 🙂
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you’re going to need to hire an assistant
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time to start building my empire…
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I’d like to part of your p.r. Team
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you would be the only member of such a team 🙂
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So I would be the boss of my department
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exactly – and you get all the perks associated with such a position… 🙂
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That’s the clincher
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the best perk is that there is nothing to do and no responsibilities; the ultimate job…
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i can continue on with my aimless wandering!
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you’ll make just as much being a flaneur 🙂
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i do, and the hours are great. thanks for matching my salary
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there’s lots of psychic income 🙂
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I’m sure someone who invents such a small microchip would announce it to the world, not hide it in a vaccine. I wonder if they realise their phones already do what they think the microchip will?
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our phones do know a lot about us…
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I heard Borden’s Blather is really written by a robot that was programmed to take over our the internet…
But seriously though I don’t know if you’re on Instagram but there’s this video that’s been going around where someone scans a woman’s arm at a supermarket checkout and it picks something up. It’s obviously a fake video but I think that’s what started the rumour. (You can instantly tell it’s fake because her sleeve has a big bump on it where I’m assuming she’s hiding something with a QR code on it)
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thanks for the info on that video; I’ll have to go look for it. it’s amazing how rumors get spread…
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It’s crazy what people will choose to believe. I think I have it saved. I’ll leave a link if I do.
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I found it earlier today – that was funny; and sad that people would believe it was true…
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Yeah I thought it was a joke but I guess people took it really seriously and it turned into a thing. Idk humans are… interesting.
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that’s a good way to describe humans, and I wouldn’t want them any other way!
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Lol true they keep life amusing!
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👍
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20% is very spooky.. If there is a microchip roaming around in the body I would imagine it could get up to all sorts of mischief.. I wonder if it can be programmed to disperse body fat, plump up wrinkles, adjust failing eyesight and repair joints.. I would sign up for one of those myself… and delighted to welcome you to are blogging community David Letterman.. now you are getting somewhere…lol.
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I wouldn’t mind a chip like that either!
and the next step for me, aka Letterman, is to shave my beard…
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lol…photographs…x
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👍
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I want to use the mind-controlling chip so I can get my daughter to help with more household chores.😉
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now that seems like a good use of such a chip! 🙂
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That would go viral…lol.. thanks Anne..x
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Good luck with the Letterman gig, Jim. Don’t get me started on idiot conspiracy theories. Aye, cheers facebook….
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there are a lot of conspiracy theories out there. I’m just doing my part to spread them… 🙂
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😃
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I’m with Sally I’lll go with that microchip…hehe..As it is the choice of whether or not to be vaccinated doesn’t count here..there ain’t any vaccines!
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I can’t believe there are still no vaccines available for you; hopefully people are staying healthy…
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We are jusr staying at home, Jim…a self imposed quarantine I shop online where I can 🙂 x
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do you still go to your farmer’s market?
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I haven’t been going for a while, Jim..Covid has been increasing badly here so we stay at home I use what I grow here, buy online or my son goes out for us x
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I’m so sorry to hear this, especially when Thailand seemed to do so well at the beginning of the pandemic…
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I know, Pete.. 😔
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I voted Republican for over 30 years. Almost all those people who believe the microchip theory (and other antivaxxer and anti-masker nonsense) also vote Republican. The GOP needs Biden to fail, or they won’t have a chance to win in 2022 and 2024. They don’t care that people will die for Biden to fail at his vaccination numbers. They only care that Biden looks bad. But now that they’re starting to realize that most of the people dying of Covid are their own voters, they’re starting to (finally!) speak up to promote vaccines– albeit not very vehemently. They still would rather have people dying than for Biden to look good.
Btw, the second best argument against the microchip theory is to point out how pet microchips work (and don’t work), how large they are, and how many billions of dollars The pet industry is losing out on by not offering these “vaccine microchips.”
The first best argument is to point out that the cell phones they carry (at no cost to the tech industry) already track their every movement, influence their behavior, and that they themselves are paying for the privilege of being tracked and manipulated on social media.
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you make lots of great points, Anne. I just wish people would get vaccinated. and youa re right, our phones are already tracking a lot of what we do…
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Huh? 1 in 5 people in America believe this? Well damn, that’s also a much higher number than I originally thought 😅
That being said, the curse of free information is the possibility misinformation, but I also hope we can start ‘regulating’ this type of nonsense that also potentially harms others🤦🏻♂️
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it does seem quite high. and it’s a fine line between misinformation and free speech. Personally, I would err on the side of allowing free speech…
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‘conspiracy theory’ is an easy way out of what could be a deep discussion about something that makes no sense . . . JFK . . . 911 . . . 2020 election . . . why did all this stuff going on today from the House break in down to covid all seem to be happening at once. . . . many things that start out as a conspiracy theory eventually prove themselves to be correct. . . . I know one for sure: the gulf of Tonkin incident that Lyndon used to get us into the war never happened as stated. . . . Saddam had weapons of mass destruction or was that a conspiracy theory fomented by Bush/chaney . . . . . I guess I think some are true and some are false, but many make interesting bar talk, for me anyways.
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they do make for interesting conversations…
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Wow! 15%?
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stunning, isn’t it?
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Yes! Those scientists want to insert the mark of the beast, not prevent covid. 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️ the ingredients are listed
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I wonder if the person who starts such rumors is aware of the truth, but figures he can just get some people to fall for the conspiracy…
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