Misinformation Alerts
Knowing what misinformation is being shared can help you generate effective messaging.
These insights are based on a combination of automated media monitoring and manual review by public health data analysts. Media data are publicly available data from many sources, such as social media, broadcast television, newspapers and magazines, news websites, online video, blogs, and more. Analysts from the Public Good Projects triangulate this data along with other data from fact checking organizations and investigative sources to provide an accurate, but not exhaustive, list of currently circulating misinformation.Misinformation Alerts
Knowing what misinformation is being shared can help you generate effective messaging.
These insights are based on a combination of automated media monitoring and manual review by public health data analysts. Media data are publicly available data from many sources, such as social media, broadcast television, newspapers and magazines, news websites, online video, blogs, and more. Analysts from the Public Good Projects triangulate this data along with other data from fact checking organizations and investigative sources to provide an accurate, but not exhaustive, list of currently circulating misinformation.Alerts are categorized as high, medium, and low risk.
- High risk alerts: Narratives with widespread circulation across communities, high engagement, exponential velocity, and a high potential to impact health decisions. Are often more memorable than accurate information.
- Medium risk alerts: Narratives that are circulating in priority populations and pose some threat to health. Potential for further spread due to the tactics used or because of predicted velocity. Often highlights the questions and concerns of people.
- Low risk alerts: Narratives that are limited in reach, don’t impact your community, or lack the qualities necessary for future spread. May indicate information gaps, confusion, or concerns.
A widely circulated article falsely claims that a recent Japanese study found that all COVID-19 variants were engineered in a lab and intentionally leaked. The paper, which was uploaded to an online open repository, analyzes Omicron variants and concludes that they contain mutations that appear “highly unnatural.” The researchers believe this is evidence that Omicron and its subvariants originated in a lab.
Recommendation:
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False and misleading claims about COVID-19’s origins have circulated since the earliest days of the pandemic, and this article is no exception. Debunking messaging may explain that the study, which is not peer-reviewed, did not draw any conclusions about non-Omicron variants and does not claim that the variants were intentionally “artificially synthesized” and released, as the article states. Additionally, the researchers acknowledge that their conclusion is based on a “limited” and potentially “unreliable” dataset, and that further research is necessary. Many research institutions have closely monitored the evolution of all COVID-19 variants and found no evidence that they are unnatural. Fact Checking Source(s): Tech ARP, Johns Hopkins
In a post with over a million views, a U.S. congressperson claims that the government created the COVID-19 virus in order to make COVID-19 vaccines and enforce mandates. The representative also accuses the government of spreading lies and censoring the truth.
Recommendation:
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The high-profile nature of the misleading information raises its risk. Messaging may explain that although the precise origins of COVID-19 are unknown, there is no evidence to suggest that it was synthetically manufactured or that the pandemic was planned. Fact Checking Source(s): FactCheck.org, Reuters
Several prominent COVID-19 vaccine opponents are touting a pet deworming medication called fenbendazole as a miracle cancer drug being suppressed by the FDA. One popular post falsely claims that the drug has proven effective against cancer but isn’t used because it is too cheap to make anyone rich. Another post compares the drug to the unproven COVID-19 treatment ivermectin, which has also been promoted as a cancer cure.
Recommendation:
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The high level of engagement with this false claim increases its risk. Debunking messaging may emphasize that while fenbendazole has shown some promise as a cancer treatment in preclinical animal studies, there is not sufficient evidence to suggest that it is effective in humans. There is also no evidence to suggest that the FDA and pharmaceutical companies are attempting to suppress fenbendazole or any potential cancer treatment. Fact Checking Source(s): Full Fact, Logically Facts
A social media post claims that COVID-19 vaccines have far higher adverse event rates than other vaccines, citing a widely disputed study that “reanalyzed” data from COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials.
Recommendation:
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Although the post has relatively limited engagement, the persistence of this false claim increases its risk. Debunking messaging may emphasize that the claim that COVID-19 vaccines have a higher adverse reaction rate is based on cherry-picked and misrepresented data. Fact-checking sources: Health Feedback, FactCheck.org
A tech CEO posted an image that downplays the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and the seriousness of COVID-19. The post has received hundreds of thousands of engagements.
Recommendation:
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The high-profile source and level of engagement increase the misinformation’s risk. Debunking messaging may emphasize that COVID-19 is still a serious disease that causes thousands of Americans to be hospitalized each week and has killed over 51,000 Americans since the beginning of the year. Messaging may also emphasize that staying up to date on vaccines protects against severe illness and death, and research suggests that vaccinated people have a lower risk of developing long COVID. Fact-Checking Source(s): NIH, Association of American Medical Colleges, Johns Hopkins
An article on a right-wing conspiracy website claims that a federal agency “admitted” to faking 99 percent of all COVID-19 deaths to scare people into getting vaccinated. The article cites data for the week ending on August 19, which showed that around 2 percent of all deaths were caused by COVID-19. The article misinterprets this data point to mean that only 1.7 percent of all COVID-19 deaths reported by the agency were caused by COVID-19.
Recommendation:
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Responding to conspiracy theories may detract from priority talking points. Messaging may continue to emphasize key talking points: The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and the best protection against COVID-19. Fact-checking sources: WebMD
A viral video tracks the decline in the reported effectiveness of COVID-19 over time, insinuating that early headlines about the vaccines being “100 percent effective” were disinformation. A social media CEO shared the video in a post that has been viewed over 70 million times. The CEO also claimed that the COVID-19 booster almost sent him to the hospital and argued against vaccine mandates. The viral video is highly misleading because it doesn’t distinguish between trial efficacy and real-world effectiveness, or between effectiveness against severe disease and effectiveness against infection.
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
The high-profile source of the misinformation increases its risk. The video and the posts highlight a trend of questioning COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness by applying previous messaging on COVID-19 and vaccines to the current situation in an attempt to discourage vaccination and discredit health officials. Debunking messaging may explain how this type of rhetoric oversimplifies the complex relationship between viral evolution and vaccine effectiveness. The original COVID-19 vaccines were extremely effective against infection, severe disease, and death. As the SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate and mutate, it becomes less recognizable to protective antibodies, making vaccine and infection immunity less effective and updated vaccines especially important. Messaging may also emphasize that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and serious side effects are extremely rare. Fact-Checking Source(s): CDC, Kaiser Permanente
More Information:
How is vaccine effectiveness determined?
There are two key measures that determine vaccine effectiveness: clinical trial efficacy and real-world effectiveness. Trial efficacy is measured in a structured clinical trial. These trials involve groups of diverse people and measure how much a vaccine reduces their risk of getting sick. If a vaccine has high efficacy, that means there were significantly fewer people in the vaccinated group who got sick compared with the unvaccinated group. Vaccine effectiveness measures successful immune protection under real-world conditions. If a vaccine has high effectiveness, there is real-world proof that the vaccine protects people against severe infection, symptomatic illness, hospitalization, and death.
While vaccine effectiveness can be quantified using percentages, without context these statistics can oversimplify the number of factors used to determine outcomes. Vaccine effectiveness varies based on location, population, research approach, and specific health outcomes. CDC and other public health researchers routinely monitor and evaluate data for vaccine effectiveness.
Are COVID-19 vaccines effective?
Yes, the COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at reducing the risk of severe infection, symptomatic illness, hospitalization, and death by providing immune protection that lasts several months.
The original Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines approved in December 2020 were both shown to have 95% efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 illness. These vaccines were also shown to have high efficacy, 93% and 88% efficacy respectively, in targeting the predominant strain and preventing hospitalization.
However, a vaccine can only protect against a strain that it recognizes. As the virus continues to circulate and mutate, new variants are less recognizable to our immune systems and may lead to new infections — even for people who are vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness wears off over time and the coronavirus is constantly evolving and mutating. As a result, updated vaccines have been developed to more closely target the currently circulating variants of concern and “boost” the public’s immune protection to avoid another wave of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths.
The updated Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines that were approved in fall 2023 are critical in boosting the public’s COVID-19 immunity. According to the latest research data, the newly updated COVID-19 vaccines are effective at producing strong immune responses to new variants. The updated vaccines provide increased protection against currently circulating COVID-19 strains, especially those originating from the Omicron variant. Individuals who received the updated COVID-19 vaccines have shown antibody responses that were almost 10 to 17 times higher against subvariants than before their re-vaccination.
How were the COVID-19 vaccines developed so quickly?
It’s true that these specific vaccines were developed more quickly than most, but their development built upon many decades of work on coronavirus vaccines and mRNA technology.
The process included the same rigorous safety reviews that are required for all new vaccines. Scientists were able to develop the vaccines quickly, safely, and effectively because the urgency of the pandemic created greater access to research funding, reduced bureaucratic obstacles, and encouraged unparalleled levels of government and industry cooperation.
As new variants appear, vaccine researchers will continue to develop updated COVID-19 vaccines, also called “boosters,” to provide the highest level of protection against the virus.
Are COVID-19 vaccines safe?
Yes, COVID-19 vaccines are safe. The COVID-19 vaccines have been tested and monitored for safety more than any previous vaccine in U.S. history. All COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested and reviewed for human safety through a three-phase clinical trial process. Based on this thorough process, public health officials can make evidence-based recommendations to keep the public safe.
More than 150,000 people participated in U.S. vaccine clinical trials, and almost 700 million vaccine doses have been safely administered in the U.S., with rare instances of adverse reactions. To ensure the continued safety of COVID-19 vaccines, data from clinical trials will continue to be collected for two years after each vaccine is first administered to ensure that they are safe over the long term. As with all vaccines, there will be ongoing monitoring for adverse events among people who are vaccinated in the future.
What is the risk of having a severe adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine?
The risk of having a serious adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine is very low — far lower than the risk of contracting COVID-19.
Common reactions to COVID-19 vaccination include mild side effects, such as limb soreness, fatigue, low-grade fever, headaches, and chills, which typically resolve within a few days.
Severe adverse reactions after vaccination are extremely rare, but can cause long-term health issues. Adverse events, such as anaphylaxis and other allergic reactions, blood-clotting syndromes, heart inflammation, autoimmune diseases impacting the nervous system, and death, have been reported within the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
If you have a question about the risks associated with vaccines, talk with your healthcare provider.
Am I permanently immune after getting vaccinated? What about breakthrough infections?
Given that COVID-19 is an evolving virus, researchers and medical experts continue to monitor how long vaccines provide immunity, which groups may benefit from additional doses, and how well the vaccines protect against new variants of the virus.
COVID-19 vaccines, like all other vaccines, do not provide 100% immunity. But they have been shown to be extremely effective in preventing serious illness, and they provide continued protection during periods of peak respiratory virus spread, such as the fall and winter months.
“Breakthrough” COVID-19 infections refer to infections in people who have fully completed the recommended vaccination schedule. This type of infection is not uncommon and can occur for multiple reasons. With the benefit of protection from the COVID-19 vaccine, breakthrough infections typically produce mild symptoms and do not require hospitalization. People who are not vaccinated continue to account for the vast majority of severe cases, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccines are a very important tool to protect against serious health outcomes, however vaccination alone is not enough to protect the public. It is also encouraged to practice other precautionary measures such as wearing a mask, covering a sneeze with a bent elbow or tissue, handwashing, avoiding crowded and closed spaces, social distancing from others, and isolating when sick.
Those who have compromised immune systems particularly benefit from practicing all recommended health precautions, including being vaccinated.
If you have questions about your risk of COVID-19, how to protect yourself, or the vaccines, consult with your healthcare provider.
Can my school or work mandate COVID-19 vaccination?
Yes, your school or work can mandate the COVID-19 vaccine, with some exceptions. Schools or employers may require vaccinations for attendance or employment, and those requirements vary by state and employer.
While these requirements vary, the research remains the same: the best way to protect yourself from getting COVID-19 is to get vaccinated, and practice precautionary measures like handwashing, social distancing, wearing a mask, and isolating when sick.
Schools: All states have vaccination requirements for children attending school and childcare facilities. Vaccination requirements help safeguard children by making sure they are protected when they begin school, where there is a higher potential for transmission of some diseases. To learn more about vaccine requirements by state, visit the CDC’s SchoolVaxView Requirements Database.
Employers: On January 13, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government cannot enforce a vaccine mandate for large businesses. This does not mean that private employers are blocked from creating vaccine mandates. Employers are still legally able to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for employees.
Other Vaccine Requirements:
- As of June 5, 2023, the Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination interim final rule (IFR) was lifted. This means that workers and contractors at Medicare- and Medicaid-certified facilities are not required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
- Private businesses may still require patrons to show proof of vaccination for entry, and these requirements vary by state and locality.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass an amendment to block federal funding of vaccine research in plants. Members of Congress and others have expressed concern about research at the University of California, Riverside, that explores the production of mRNA vaccines in vegetables. Some on social media falsely claim that genetically engineered plants containing “edible vaccines” are about to enter the food supply.
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Misinformation about the UCR research has circulated for over two years despite being debunked. Messaging may explain that while the eventual goal of the research is to grow certain edible vaccines in vegetables, these experiments are in very early stages and still many years from entering the market—if they ever do. Fact Checking Source(s): AP News, Snopes, USA Today
Vaccine opponents are circulating false and misleading claims about COVID-19 vaccines causing cancer, with several posts racking up millions of views. One popular post falsely claims the SV40 DNA sequence in COVID-19 vaccines “drives DNA into the nucleus,” while another claims that “massive levels” of “foreign” DNA have been found in COVID-19 vaccines. The posts insinuate that these DNA fragments are driving up cancer rates.
Recommendation:
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The persistence and pervasiveness of this myth increase its risks. Debunking messaging may emphasize that the SV40 sequence used in COVID-19 vaccines is harmless and not cancer-causing. Although SV40 has been shown to cause cancer in rodents, the part of the SV40 virus that enters the cell nucleus and is associated with cancer-causing properties is the T antigen, which is not in any vaccine. Messaging may also highlight how vaccine opponents have promoted the myth that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer since the vaccines’ introduction. Over three years of research have found no link between any COVID-19 vaccine and cancer. Fact-Checking Source(s): Lead Stories, Health Feedback
A popular radio host shared a deceptively edited video clip from 2021 showing an Australian newscaster saying a biotech company is developing a treatment for people dying from COVID-19 vaccines.
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The edited clip first circulated and was debunked in the spring of 2021. The persistence of the misinformation and the prominence of the source increase the risk. Debunking messaging may explain that the clip ends abruptly, but the full video shows the newscaster correcting her error by stating the treatment is for people dying of COVID-19. Fact Checking Source(s): AFP
Alerts are categorized as high, medium, and low risk.
- High risk alerts: Narratives with widespread circulation across communities, high engagement, exponential velocity, and a high potential to impact health decisions. Are often more memorable than accurate information.
- Medium risk alerts: Narratives that are circulating in priority populations and pose some threat to health. Potential for further spread due to the tactics used or because of predicted velocity. Often highlights the questions and concerns of people.
- Low risk alerts: Narratives that are limited in reach, don’t impact your community, or lack the qualities necessary for future spread. May indicate information gaps, confusion, or concerns.
Vaccine Misinformation Guide
Get practical tips for addressing misinformation in this new guide. Click image to download, or see highlights.