An article on a right-wing conspiracy website claims that a federal agency “admitted” to faking 99 percent of all COVID-19 deaths to scare people into getting vaccinated. The article cites data for the week ending on August 19, which showed that around 2 percent of all deaths were caused by COVID-19. The article misinterprets this data point to mean that only 1.7 percent of all COVID-19 deaths reported by the agency were caused by COVID-19.
Responding to conspiracy theories may detract from priority talking points. Messaging may continue to emphasize key talking points: The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and the best protection against COVID-19.
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