An image resurfaced the debunked claim that the U.S. military has seen a 500 percent increase in HIV rates since the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and is now HIV-testing vaccinated soldiers.
Recommendation: Responding to every piece of misinformation may detract from priority talking points. If a response is needed, consider countering by explaining that the Department of Defense (DoD) states that the claim is a false story that has circulated for over a year. Increased HIV infections in 2021 were due to underreporting in the previous five years. The number of cases increased after uncounted cases from these years were added to DoD medical databases. Fact-checking sources: