![]() The Tennessee couple has been promoting “The Truth About Vaccines 2020” at least since April 2020, and updated it in the fall. When coronavirus hit, the business pivoted again, producing and marketing false or baseless information about COVID-19. Decades of research has shown that the opposite is true. They also published articles questioning whether life-saving vaccines work and claimed unvaccinated children are healthier. The couple styled themselves as “vaccine safety advocates,” while they simultaneously minimized the threat of diseases such as measles. In 2017, in what Ty Bollinger has called a “natural progression,” the business expanded its work into vaccines. He holds degrees in accounting and taxation from Baylor, but the AP could find no indication that he has any scientific or medical training, and he declined to answer questions about his credentials. Ty Bollinger describes himself as a “medical researcher” on bios posted on his website and in at least one book. ![]() The company even sells a series that purports to show “the truth” about pet cancer. Ty Bollinger began their business several years ago with books and DVDs such as “Cancer: Step Outside the Box” and “The Truth About Cancer,” which medical experts say included unproven information about alternatives to chemotherapy and cancer prevention. ![]() Ty Bollinger later complained on an Internet show that “journo-terrorists” and “mainstream media whores” were about to release a “hit piece” on him and his wife. The Bollingers declined interview requests and did not respond to a list of questions emailed to them by the AP about their business and political activities and backgrounds. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said last month that misinformation and disinformation circulating online about COVID-19 present a “clear and present danger” to people who need to be protected and who could get vaccinated. A recent AP-NORC poll shows about 1 in 5 Americans are hesitant to get vaccinated. Public health experts say the spread of such disinformation undermines the effort to immunize enough of the population to stop the pandemic. The Center for Countering Digital Hate said that from December 2019 to May 2021, five of the Bollingers’ biggest social media accounts gained 117,273 followers. They have more than 1 million followers on Facebook, and Charlene Bollinger said in a video conversation with Kennedy posted last year on their Super PAC’s website that their email list has “a couple million” people on it. The couple’s social media accounts have been identified as among the top vaccine misinformation super spreaders by organizations such as NewsGuard, which analyzes the credibility of websites, and The Center for Countering Digital Hate, which monitors online disinformation. She called it an “amazing day” and led a prayer for the people she called “patriots.” Meanwhile, Ty Bollinger stood at the doors of the Capitol, waiting to get in. As emergency vehicles screamed past, responding to the invasion and the ransacking of the building, Charlene Bollinger celebrated from the stage. 6, the Bollingers held a rally a few blocks from the Capitol. Capitol and promoting lies like the assertion that the election was stolen from Trump. ![]() The Bollingers aligned themselves with right-wing supporters of former President Donald Trump - establishing a Super PAC to push what they call “medical freedom,” participating in the insurrection at the U.S. But the pandemic presented the couple and others a huge opportunity to expand their reach. The Bollingers and others were already in the business of selling vaccine disinformation before the coronavirus began its inexorable march across the globe.
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