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.
An anti-vaccine organization published an article claiming a two-month-old died 34 hours after being vaccinated due to toxic levels of aluminum in his blood. There is no evidence that the death is related to vaccines.
Recommendation: 
Several trending posts share a video of Anthony Fauci “finally admitting” that COVID-19 vaccines can cause myocarditis, falsely insinuating that he previously denied a potential link.
Recommendation:
A cancer researcher claims that vitamin D is a “key factor” and “all that was needed” against COVID-19 in a viral post. The post claims that researchers studying a potential link between vitamin D and COVID-19 are being silenced and “disappeared,” despite one such study being published earlier this year. Notably, the researcher works for a wellness company that sells supplements like “optimized vitamin D” and a fake COVID-19 vaccine “detox.”
Recommendation:
A surgeon discourages parents from vaccinating their children in a recent episode of a podcast, claiming childhood vaccines contain “aborted babies,” aluminum, formaldehyde, “baby cow blood,” yeasts, and mercury.
Recommendation: 
A popular anti-vaccine account claims that unvaccinated children are healthier than vaccinated children, citing a scientist whose study linking autism to vaccines was retracted.
Recommendation:
A video clip has resurfaced of a social media CEO claiming that they were worried mRNA vaccines might alter DNA. The CEO is being criticized for silencing people who questioned the vaccines’ safety while allegedly expressing similar beliefs privately.
Recommendation:
A social media post with tens of thousands of engagements claims that vaccines work by causing health issues like seizures, allergies, and heart problems and keeping the medical industry in business.
Recommendation:
A popular anti-vaccine social media account shared a screenshot of a social media user claiming to have developed 34 blood clots after getting a COVID-19 booster. The post received over tens of thousands of engagements.
Recommendation:
A bizarre conspiracy theory circulating on social media claims the Burning Man festival was shut down and a national emergency declared due to an Ebola outbreak. Some posts repeating the claim include a fake screenshot of a health authority post confirming the outbreak.
Recommendation:
A recent study investigated the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on autoimmune skin conditions. The study, which assessed around 200 patients, found a potential correlation with the emergence of several skin conditions in the weeks after vaccination. Vaccine opponents are circulating graphic images from the study as evidence of COVID-19 vaccines’ dangers.
Recommendation:
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.
Vaccine Misinformation Guide
Get practical tips for addressing misinformation in this new guide. Click image to download, or see highlights.