Alerts
The alerts on these pages are based on the monitoring of publicly available data. While some alerts reference false claims, others are included to indicate gaps in knowledge, concerns, speculation, and other trending narratives. Inclusion in reporting is based on reach and velocity of spread and on whether conversations may impact health behaviors and decisions.
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Online posts express post-pandemic “fatigue” over reports of viral outbreaks
Medium Impact
On May 17, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and…
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Hantavirus cruise outbreak sets off wave of online conspiracy theories
Medium Impact
In early April, several passengers on a cruise ship became sick with hantavirus, which can cause severe illness and death.…
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Experts and online posts express concern over the health secretary’s SSRI comments
High Impact
At a May 4 Make America Healthy Again summit, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. outlined plans to “curb psychiatric…
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Federal harm reduction cuts loom amid calls for a ban on opioid-like substances
Medium Impact
On April 24, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced in a letter to health departments that the…
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Singer’s shingles diagnosis sparks discussion about severity and vaccine effectiveness
Low Impact
In an April 28 social media post, a British singer in his 30s shared that he is recovering from shingles,…
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Posts discuss the benefits of male HPV vaccination
Low Impact
An April 24 news article highlighted the benefits of HPV vaccination for boys and men, sparking debate about the vaccine’s…
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Concern about the climate and health impacts of AI data centers grows online
Medium Impact
Debates about artificial intelligence data centers and their potential effects on local communities have been trending online in recent weeks.…
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Health Secretary continues to fuel measles myths amid ongoing outbreaks
Medium Impact
During an April 17 congressional hearing, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed that the U.S. has contained measles outbreaks…
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Surging rotavirus cases spur calls for vaccination as trust in vaccines declines
Low Impact
Rising cases of rotavirus, which can cause fever, vomiting, and severe diarrhea, are raising concern among health officials and health…
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New “Cicada” COVID-19 variant concerns experts and the public
Medium Impact
A new COVID-19 variant, BA.3.2, is circulating in the U.S. and sparking conversation online. The variant, which was first detected…
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Landmark tech lawsuits prompt debate about teen mental health and social media
High Impact
On March 25, a California jury ruled against YouTube and Meta in a landmark case alleging that the companies knowingly…
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Lyme disease vaccine fuels online conspiracy theories
Medium Impact
A new vaccine against Lyme disease was found to be over 70 percent effective in a clinical trial and may…
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Post resurfaces myth that the CDC hid link between autism and hepatitis B vaccine
Medium Impact
A March 22 social media post with over four million views revived the disproven claim that the CDC concealed a…
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Viral posts falsely claim myocarditis only occurs after COVID-19 vaccination
Low Impact
A recent Oxford study has resurfaced the false claim that myocarditis and pericarditis in children and adolescents only occur after…
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Judge blocks federal vaccine decisions, drawing ire from vaccine opponents
High Impact
On March 16, a district court temporarily blocked recent federal vaccine policy changes, including all decisions made by the current…
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Public sounds alarm about cychlorphine, a potent opioid linked to overdose deaths
Medium Impact
Multiple states have issued warnings about a synthetic opioid called cychlorphine that has been linked to at least 16 overdose…