Viral thoughts: Why Covid-19 conspiracy theories persist

Daniel Roberts poses for a picture in McMinnville, Tennessee. Roberts received a Covid vaccine over the objections of his family, who are against being vaccinated. — AP

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island: Daniel Roberts hadn’t had a vaccination since he was six. No boosters, no tetanus shots. His parents taught him inoculations were dangerous, and when the coronavirus arrived, they called it a hoax. The vaccine, they said, was the real threat.

So when the 29-year-old Tennessee man got his Covid-19 shot at his local Walmart last month, it felt like an achievement. A break with his past.