A recent Reuters report revealed that the Pentagon launched a covert anti-vaccine social media campaign in 2020 in an attempt to discredit China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine. Posts sharing the article criticized the Pentagon, noting that the actions will likely undermine public health efforts in priority countries.
Regardless of the source, anti-vaccine messages have the potential to cause lasting damage to the public’s perception and acceptance of vaccines. Talking points may emphasize that the World Health Organization found COVID-19 vaccines produced by China to be effective and safe. Messaging may also explain that Chinese-produced COVID-19 vaccines were administered in dozens of countries throughout Asia, Latin America, and Africa and saved over 3 million lives in 2021, according to a 2022 analysis.
