As winter storms and extreme cold affect millions across the United States, including much of the South, conversations about winter weather preparation and cold-related deaths circulated online. Local officials encouraged wearing layers, keeping warm clothing and blankets in cars, and being aware of fire and carbon monoxide safety measures when trying to keep warm indoors. Several social media posts emphasized the dangers of cold temperatures, especially in regions unaccustomed to cold weather. Additionally, some users explained how climate change could cause extreme weather, sharing a recent study that links the rise in cold-related deaths in the last two decades to climate change and research that shows that cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes increase in the winter. Many posts dismissed the concerns as fearmongering and mocked the idea that “global warming” causes colder temperatures. Some posts claimed that COVID-19 vaccines are responsible for the increase in heart attacks in winter, a phenomenon that has been observed for decades.

Recommendation: Medium Impact Read More +

Some conspiracy theorists are downplaying the potential severity of bird flu and promoting false claims about bird flu vaccine safety. Most of the posts are circulating the debunked claim that a bird flu vaccine approved by the FDA in 2020 killed one in 200 people who received it. Several social media users speculated that bird flu is an attempt to control the population and an “evil psyop” (psychological operation).

Recommendation: Medium Impact Read More +

On December 13, the New York Times reported that in 2022, a lawyer assisting presumptive HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in screening federal health officials petitioned the FDA to revoke its approval of the inactivated polio vaccine. Since Friday, the story has been trending nationally and globally, with many criticizing the attempt to discredit an established and trusted vaccine. In response, several politicians have attempted to distance themselves from criticism of the polio vaccine. However, other social media posts claimed that the modern polio vaccine was not properly tested and was not as safe as the vaccine developed by Jonas Salk in the early 1950s. Some also repeated the myth that routine vaccines have not been subjected to randomized controlled trials. Some posts displayed broad anti-vaccine beliefs, insisting that children receive too many vaccines and that vaccines cause more harm than good. 

Recommendation: High Impact Read More +

A new preprint study driving conversation online estimates that by 2030, excess air pollution caused by artificial intelligence could cause up to 1,300 premature deaths a year in the United States alone. The study also estimated an annual economic impact of $20 billion per year due to lost work and school days and treatments from pollution-related health issues. Researchers at Caltech and the University of California, Riverside, project that the public health burden of AI-related pollution will exceed that from automobile and steelmaking by the end of the decade. One of the study’s authors noted that, “the growth of AI is driving an enormous increase in demand for data centers and energy, making it the fastest-growing sector for energy consumption across all industries.” 

Recommendation: Low Impact Read More +

Several social media users, including an account known for inciting harassment, are targeting Gardiner High School in Maine for attempting to open a school-based health center that would provide primary care services. The center, which is awaiting school board approval, would aim to remove barriers to physical and mental health care for youth by offering services like annual physicals, vaccinations, and mental health care on school property. Since Maine allows health care providers to offer some confidential services to minors, parents have expressed concern that this clinic would facilitate minors making health decisions that they are “not mature enough” to make without parental support. The most popular post has over 16,000 engagements as of December 11. Notably, minors in Maine cannot receive vaccination without the consent of a parent or guardian. Some posts encourage parents to homeschool their children and claim that the clinic is a “nefarious” way to vaccinate more children. While most comments expressed outrage that youths could potentially receive vaccines without parental consent, some suggested that the health center would influence youths to be trans by providing gender-affirming mental health care and pushing so-called “transgender drugs.”

Recommendation: Medium Impact Read More +