Many widely circulated social media posts cast doubt on new and emerging COVID-19 variants and the recent surge in infections. Some of these posts speculate that talk of a new COVID-19 wave is related to upcoming elections, while others claim it’s tied to declining profits for pharmaceutical companies. A popular conspiracy radio host claims that the U.S. government is preparing to bring back all pandemic restrictions, a claim several sitting members of Congress have repeated.
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The widespread nature and high-profile source of these claims—and the potential to impact acceptance of updated COVID-19 vaccines—increases their risk. Debunking talking points may emphasize the importance of staying up to date on vaccination to protect against COVID-19, particularly as COVID-19 infections rise and we face an expected surge in the coming months. Messaging may also explain that new COVID-19 variants are not suspicious or unexpected. Like many viruses, SARS-CoV-2 mutates and produces new variants as it spreads and replicates. Updated vaccines protect against currently dominant variants and those expected to circulate soon. Fact-Checking Source(s):
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