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 website that publishes hoax news stories claimed that the government of Japan is investigating millions of deaths supposedly caused by COVID-19 vaccines. The post has been widely shared, including by several high-profile anti-vaccine figures.
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
The high engagement on the posts and the shares by high-profile figures increase the risk of this misinformation. Emphasizing that there is no evidence of any investigation into COVID-19 vaccines by the Japanese government is recommended, as is explaining that there isn’t any evidence of widespread deaths caused by the vaccines in Japan or any country. Billions of people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 worldwide, and the vaccines are safe. Fact-Checking Source(s):
A study of COVID-19 vaccine safety in older adults has been widely circulated and misrepresented by vaccine opponents. The study used FDA, Medicare, and Medicaid data for people ages 65 and up to flag early warning signals for increased risks of certain health conditions following COVID-19 vaccination. The study identified four signals that marginally increased following vaccination in this population. However, only one of the four conditions, pulmonary embolism, showed increased risk after accounting for the conditions’ baseline rates and additional factors that contribute to risks, such as age and nursing home residency. Multiple large English and Spanish accounts have falsely proclaimed that the study found that COVID-19 vaccines cause blood clots.
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
Emphasizing how the study is being misrepresented is recommended. The study found a modest increase in risk for pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in the lungs) in older adults following vaccination with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. No other health conditions showed a significant increase in risk, and no risks increased following Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccination. The study did not find that the Pfizer vaccine caused the increased risk. Instead, it concluded that further study is needed to determine if there is a potential link between the vaccine and pulmonary embolism. Messaging may explain that many large studies have found no link between mRNA vaccines and blood clots and that over 95 percent of Americans over the age of 65 have safely received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Fact-Checking Source(s):
Several popular social media accounts are promoting the idea that mask mandates and other COVID-19 protections are responsible for the "tripledemic," the current wave of flu, COVID-19, and RSV infections that are overwhelming U.S. hospitals. One post claims that wearing masks weakened children’s immune systems by preventing exposure to germs, making them more susceptible to infections. This claim directly contradicts the anti-mask belief that masks are ineffective at preventing disease transmission. Another widely shared post says that COVID-19 restrictions have “dampened immune systems.”
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
Consider countering this misinformation by explaining that there is no scientific basis for the claim that masks or other COVID-19 protections weaken immune systems. Emphasizing that pediatricians agree that masks are perfectly safe for children over the age of 2 and research shows that masks reduce the spread of COVID-19 in schools is recommended. The “tripledemic” is the result of multiple highly transmissible COVID-19 subvariants, a particularly bad and early flu season, and increased indoor socialization without COVID-19 mitigations like mask mandates and social distancing. Masks were not the cause of the tripledemic, but they are an effective way to help protect against the respiratory diseases circulating this winter. Fact Checking Source(s):
Two prominent anti-vaccine figures had their social media accounts reinstated last week. The accounts were suspended earlier this year for repeated violations of the platform’s COVID-19 misinformation policy, which is no longer being enforced. Upon returning to the platform, both people immediately began promoting misinformation about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine opponents and COVID-19 skeptics celebrated the return of the figures as a sign that public opinion is shifting in their favor.
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
The high profile of these sources of misinformation elevates their risk. Both of the figures have gained popularity and large platforms by using their scientific and medical training to lend credibility to the misinformation that they promote. Misinformation about COVID-19 will persist online, but steps may be taken to reduce the impact. Continuing to report misinformation on other platforms is recommended, as is exercising caution when consuming and sharing health information on Twitter. Following trusted accounts and double-checking that verified accounts are real and reputable sources of information are also recommended. Consider countering misinformation on the safety and efficacy of vaccines by emphasizing the amount of time and research that goes into the development process and that more than 70 percent of the world’s population has safely received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Fact-Checking Source(s):
Less than a week after a New Zealand baby whose parents attempted to refuse vaccinated blood received life-saving surgery, a mother in the U.S. is claiming that her one-month-old baby died because of a blood transfusion from COVID-19-vaccinated donors. The story has been picked up by right-wing and anti-vaccine sites despite the lack of evidence to support it. According to the baby’s mother, he had surgery for a throat condition in February, developed a blood clot shortly after, and died two weeks later. He received a blood transfusion during surgery, and although there is no way to know the vaccination status of blood donors, the parents and anti-vaccine advocates have insisted that vaccinated blood killed the baby.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
Any death is a tragedy, but there is no evidence that the baby’s death was in any way related to the vaccination status of the blood donors. The baby's cause of death was a blood clot, which is a serious risk after any major surgery. Messaging may explain that vaccine components are not transferred through blood and that there is no evidence that blood donations from vaccinated individuals will have any negative effect on donation recipients. Blood donations are not separated by vaccination status, so there is no way to know if the blood the baby received was from people who were vaccinated, unvaccinated, or both. Explaining that the Red Cross says that blood and plasma from vaccinated donors are perfectly safe is recommended. Fact Checking Source(s):
A case in New Zealand underscores the real-world impact of anti-vaccine misinformation. The parents of a 6-month-old with a congenital heart defect refused life-saving surgery for the baby unless they could ensure that only blood from unvaccinated people was used. Doctors insisted that the demand was impractical because the baby would likely need plasma that is pooled from multiple donors and New Zealand blood banks don’t screen donations by vaccination status. A judge ordered that the baby be temporarily placed in the custody of the hospital. The baby’s surgery was completed on Friday, and he is reportedly doing well and recovering with his parents in the hospital. The case has ignited anti-vaccine groups worldwide who argue that parents should have the final say in their child’s health—even at the expense of the child’s life.
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
The high level of international media attention that the case has received increases its risk. Any case involving the health or life of an infant is going to evoke strong emotional responses. Responding with empathy and acknowledging the concerns of parents is recommended, as is explaining how vaccines and medical procedures help protect both children and their families. Explaining that the Red Cross says that blood and plasma from vaccinated donors are perfectly safe is recommended. Messaging may explain that vaccine components are not transferred through blood and that there is no evidence that these antibodies would have any negative effect on donation recipients. Fact-Checking Source(s):
A popular right-wing figure with millions of social media followers continued promotion of the debunked documentary that falsely claims COVID-19 vaccines have caused mass death and are part of a depopulation plan. The commentator claimed that vaccines are a “crime against humanity."
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
The high-profile source of this misinformation elevates its risk. Emphasizing the misrepresentations and hoaxes included in the documentary is recommended, as is explaining that the film blames any sudden or unexplained death on COVID-19 vaccines, without any evidence, knowledge of other health conditions, or even confirmation of vaccination status. Consider combating misinformation by explaining that baselessly claiming that deaths are related to vaccines, even when there is evidence to the contrary, is a common tactic of vaccine opponents. Many of the people featured in the film didn’t die at all; they fainted, collapsed from exhaustion, or experienced seizures. Messaging may emphasize that there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines increase the risk of sudden death and that the vaccines have been safely administered to 70 percent of the world’s population. Fact Checking Source(s):
A conservative newspaper has accused the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a professional association for pediatricians in the U.S., of “hijacking” pediatrics, due to the organization's supportive stance on childhood vaccinations and gender-affirming care. The article criticizes the AAP for recommending COVID-19 vaccines, masks, and gender-affirming care for children.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
Consider countering this misinformation by explaining that the recommendations about COVID-19 mitigations and vaccinations are backed by scientific evidence and real-world data showing the effectiveness of vaccines and masks. On each of the issues raised in the article, the AAP is guided by the expertise of its membership and consensus from the national and international medical communities, backed by decades of research. Fact Checking Source(s):
A group of 21 governors has come out in opposition to the military’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement, claiming that it is making recruitment and retention of service members more difficult. The governor’s letter repeats President Biden’s misleading claim that the pandemic is over to support the end of the mandate. Although the statement is not misinformation, it has fueled a weeklong discussion about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, resurfacing myths that they are experimental, dangerous, or ineffective against COVID-19.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
Continuing to emphasize key messages is recommended: COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Messaging may also emphasize there is no widespread refusal of COVID-19 vaccination in the military and that vaccine mandates in the military aren’t new. Service members are required to receive multiple vaccines, including MMR, polio, chickenpox, and tetanus-diphtheria, with some exemptions for religious or health reasons. Fact Checking Source(s):
An article on a conspiracy news site that frequently misrepresents COVID-19 data is claiming that vaccinated children are 137 times more likely to die than unvaccinated children, suggesting that COVID-19 vaccines are deadly. The claim is based on raw data from the U.K. Office for National Statistics.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
Emphasizing that this claim and others made by the website are based on intentionally misrepresenting raw, unverified, or decontextualized data is recommended. U.K. data does show that children who are vaccinated are more likely to die from all causes than children who are unvaccinated. This is because the children who are most likely to be vaccinated, especially early in the vaccine roll-out, are children who are already at a much higher risk of death than other children: children who are immunocompromised, children with cancer, and children with serious heart and respiratory conditions. Presenting these numbers without that context falsely implies that the children are dying from vaccine injuries. 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.