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.
Clips from Robert F. Kennery Jr.’s viral podcast interview continue circulating online, along with his many anti-vaccine claims. In one widely shared clip, Kennedy claims that pharmaceutical companies and mainstream media discredited ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine because they threatened a billion-dollar “vaccine enterprise.”
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
The prominence of the misinformation’s source increases its risk. RFK Jr., the founder of one of the top anti-vaccine organizations in the country, has a long history of promoting anti-vaccine myths and conspiracy theories. When responding to people who spread misinformation about fake COVID-19 cures online, debunking messaging may emphasize that large studies and clinical trials have repeatedly shown that ivermectin does not effectively prevent or treat COVID-19. Fact-Checking Source(s):
A U.S. congressperson known for promoting COVID-19 vaccine misinformation alleged that COVID-19 vaccination is responsible for an increase in miscarriages and stillbirths. There is no credible evidence to support this claim.
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
The high-profile nature of this misinformation and its potential to increase vaccine hesitancy elevates its risk. Debunking messaging may emphasize that all available evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccination is safe for those who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Emphasizing that dozens of studies in multiple countries have shown that COVID-19 vaccines have no negative impact on pregnancy outcomes is also recommended. Fact-Checking Source(s):
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the widely labeled anti-vaccine conspiracist and 2024 presidential candidate made headlines over the weekend after appearing on Joe Rogan, a popular podcast. RFK Jr., who founded one of the most prominent anti-vaccine organizations in America, promoted numerous vaccine myths in the interview, including claims that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe and that childhood vaccines cause autism. A vaccine expert, Dr. Peter Hotez, criticized the podcast’s hosting site for profiting from the promotion of vaccine misinformation. In response, the podcast host and Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, a popular social media platform, challenged the expert to “debate” the presidential candidate on the podcast, which the expert refused. The ongoing conversation has drawn millions of engagements as vaccine opponents seized the opportunity to advance anti-vaccine talking points.
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
The prominence of the misinformation’s source increases its risk. The presidential candidate has a long history of promoting anti-vaccine conspiracy theories without evidence to support his claims. Debunking messaging may emphasize that two and a half years of large-scale safety studies and over two-thirds of the world’s population being fully vaccinated demonstrate that COVID-19 vaccines are safe. COVID-19 vaccines saved millions of lives worldwide. Fact-Checking Source(s):
A prominent anti-vaccine organization is promoting misinformation about the clinical trial for an RSV vaccine that the FDA recently recommended during pregnancy to protect newborns. The post claims that 12 infants died in the clinical trial, suggesting that the deaths were due to the vaccine their mothers received. However, the 12 deaths were in the control group of infants whose mothers received the placebo. The false claim is circulating on multiple social media platforms.
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
The misinformation’s potential to cause vaccine hesitancy raises the risk. Debunking messaging may emphasize that the anti-vaccine organization misrepresents the study results to claim that infants whose mothers didn’t receive the vaccine were somehow harmed by it. The study included over 3,000 pregnant women, and 17 infant deaths were reported—12 in the control group and five in the vaccine group. No deaths were attributed to the vaccine. It is recommended to emphasize that the FDA rigorously reviewed clinical trial safety data before recommending the vaccine during the second or third trimester to protect newborns, who are particularly vulnerable to RSV. Fact-Checking Source(s):
A White House email that unintentionally contained outdated mask guidelines has sparked conversations about the effectiveness of wearing masks to protect against COVID-19. The email about an upcoming event at the White House stated that unvaccinated individuals are required to wear masks and socially distance at the event. Right-wing commentators referred to mask requirements as “insanity,” “propaganda,” and “useless.” A correction email was sent out shortly after the first, clarifying that masks are no longer required at the White House.
Recommendation:
Low Risk Read More +
Misinformation about the effectiveness of wearing masks has circulated since the earliest days of the pandemic. Many anti-mask advocates have seized on a review published earlier this year to support their opposition to masks and mask mandates. Emphasizing that the analysis relied on limited evidence due to the lack of high-quality randomized controlled trials of mask effectiveness against COVID-19 is recommended. Debunking messaging may emphasize that the largest randomized trial of mask effectiveness against COVID-19 found a significant reduction in COVID-19 infections in people who consistently wore masks. Fact-checking sources:
A far-right news site known for publishing vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories claims that several autopsies confirm that COVID-19 vaccines cause sudden death related to myocarditis. The claim is based on a Korean study that found that, among the over 44 million vaccinated people in the country, eight died from what is believed to be vaccine-related myocarditis.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
The persistence and widespread nature of misinformation about myocarditis increase its risk level. Debunking messaging may explain that the study clarifies that there is not enough evidence to verify that the individuals’ deaths were vaccine-related. Continuing to emphasize that many studies, including this one, have found that vaccine-related myocarditis is very rare, typically mild, and usually resolves quickly is recommended. Fact Checking Source(s): USA Today, FactCheck.org
In a trending video clip, an osteopathic doctor and COVID-19 conspiracy theorist repeats the debunked myth that the tetanus vaccine contains an ingredient that causes sterility in women as part of a depopulation plan.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
The rumor that the tetanus vaccine was used to sterilize Kenyan women has circulated since the 1990s based on a widely disseminated false claim that the vaccine contains the pregnancy hormone HCG. Debunking messaging may explain that multiple studies over the last three decades have determined that the tetanus vaccine doesn’t contain HCG or any other sterilizing ingredients and that the vaccine is safe to receive before or during pregnancy. Fact Checking Source(s): Lead Stories, Full Fact
A social media account that claims to report “breaking news” recently promoted the false rumor that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines contain cancer-causing DNA. The post does not link to a source for the claim, but it appears to have originated in a video hosted by a conspiracy theory-promoting physician.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
Widespread myths that mRNA vaccines alter DNA or cause cancer have circulated since COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out in late 2020. The persistence of this misinformation increases its risk. Debunking messaging may explain that mRNA vaccines do not interact with or alter DNA and that there is no link between any COVID-19 vaccine and cancer risk. Continuing to emphasize that COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe is recommended. Fact Checking Source(s): MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA Today
A far-right news site published an article that repeated the false claim that COVID-19 vaccine boosters weaken the immune system. The article has been shared thousands of times on social media.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
The persistence of the claim and its potential to cause hesitancy increases its risk. The myth that COVID-19 vaccines and boosters weaken the immune system has circulated for years, with no evidence to support it. Debunking messaging may emphasize that vaccines do not negatively affect immune cells or the immune system as a whole. Instead, they strengthen the immune system’s ability to fight COVID-19. Fact Checking Source(s): FactCheck.org, Reuters
The producers of a viral conspiracy film that falsely claimed COVID-19 vaccines cause people to die suddenly released a trailer for a second, equally unsubstantiated “documentary.” The new film repeats several conspiracy theories, including that COVID-19 vaccines are bioweapons, that governments planned the pandemic to control people, and that SARS-CoV-2 was developed by pharmaceutical research.
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
The first film had a lasting impact on anti-vaccine narratives, which increases the potential risk of the new film. Debunking messaging may emphasize that the trailer for the new film, like the original, is full of misleading quotes, misrepresentations, and blatant lies. The claim that the vaccines are bioweapons is based on an interview with a Pfizer “whistleblower” who didn’t work in vaccine research. There is no evidence to support the conspiracy theory that governments or pharmaceutical companies were involved in the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus, a family of viruses that caused multiple major outbreaks in the two decades leading up to the pandemic. Continuing to emphasize that over 70 percent of the world’s population has been safely vaccinated against COVID-19 with no evidence of widespread health issues is recommended. Fact-Checking Source(s):
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.