The Biden administration announced it will seek congressional funding to develop a new COVID-19 vaccine, leading conspiracists to claim that the government plans to mandate the vaccines for all Americans.
Recommendation: The claims continue a trend of viral posts speculating that the U.S. will reinstitute COVID-19 mitigations and lockdowns this fall. The pervasiveness of these claims increases their risk. Debunking messaging may explain that there is no evidence supporting any of these claims, which originate from conspiracy and anti-vaccine websites. New vaccines will help protect against COVID-19 as the virus continues to evolve. Fact Checking Source(s): AP News, FactCheck.org