Several social media posts claim emails from 2021 reveal that federal officials covered up mRNA COVID-19 vaccine risks. The emails include federal officials flagging myocarditis as a potential (but unconfirmed) adverse reaction on May 25, 2021, consistent with when those officials alerted the public on June 10. Similar claims have circulated since July.
The persistence of this misinformation increases its risk. Debunking messaging may explain that the emails don’t reveal a coverup but instead show how federal health officials carefully monitored and flagged potential safety signals and promptly informed the public. The only reason vaccine opponents can falsely claim federal officials covered up these potential risks is because those same officials made the public aware of them. Emphasizing that vaccine-related myocarditis is extremely rare and that myocarditis is far more common after COVID-19 infection than after COVID-19 vaccination is recommended.
