logo
Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Did Japan endorse ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19, sending cases plummeting in August 2021?

By Ed Payne
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
NO

COVID-19 cases did plummet in Japan after peaking in the second half of August 2021, but it had nothing to do with ivermectin. Instead, Japanese officials credit an aggressive vaccination campaign.

An online video lacks any proof when it attributes Japan's drop in cases to the introduction of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19 in mid-August.

In Japan, ivermectin is not on the list of approved medical products for COVID-19, according to the country's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency. Doctors are allowed to prescribe the anti-parasitic drug for certain infections caused by internal and external parasites, but not COVID-19.

The chairman of the Tokyo Medical Association said in August that ivermectin showed promise, but he also said it needed to be studied thoroughly. That association is not a government agency and it does not represent the views of Japan's government.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
YouTube Vaccination message from Minister Kono
Ministry of Health Labor & Welfare (Japan) Situation report — Japan
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.