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: We recommend directly addressing and debunking the misinformation
- Medium risk alerts: We recommend monitoring the situation but not actively engaging.
- Low risk alerts: Provided for informational purposes. We do not recommend additional action at the moment.
Several trending posts circulate false claims about HPV vaccine safety and effectiveness. The posts falsely claim that HPV vaccines don’t prevent cervical cancer and that the vaccines cause autoimmune diseases, miscarriages, birth defects, and deaths in young adults.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
Messaging may highlight that vaccine opponents have circulated myths about HPV vaccines since their introduction in 2006. In the intervening years, hundreds of millions of doses of the vaccine have been administered globally with no serious safety concerns. Data from multiple countries, including the U.S. and the U.K., show a decrease in cervical cancer rates in HPV-vaccinated populations, putting some countries on track to eliminate the disease. Fact Checking Source(s): American Cancer Society, WHO
A former cardiologist who was stripped of his board certification for promoting vaccine disinformation has co-authored two recent papers claiming that COVID-19 vaccines contribute to a large number of myocarditis deaths. One of the papers that was published and withdrawn in 2021 relies entirely on VAERS data and highlights cases of individuals who died 358 and 600 days after vaccination. The second paper, which involved a review of documents from autopsies that the researchers did not perform, was removed from a medical journal’s preprint database because its conclusions were unsupported.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
The studies represent a continuation of the anti-vaccine tactic of promoting false claims through preprint, low-quality, and retracted studies. Debunking messaging may emphasize that studies found no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines caused deaths and ignored other more likely causes of death. Large-scale, credible, peer-reviewed studies consistently show that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and that myocarditis is far more common after COVID-19 infection. Fact Checking Source(s): Infectious Diseases Society of America, CBS News
The addition of RSV and COVID-19 vaccines to the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule is being criticized by some online. RSV vaccines are recommended for older adults and pregnant people, and COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for everyone 6 months and older. An anti-vaccine website published an article calling for COVID-19 vaccines to be removed from all immunization schedules.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
Opposition to routine vaccines is widespread online. Talking points may highlight that recommended immunization schedules are not requirements. Prebunking messaging may explain that immunization reduces the impact of infectious diseases on individuals and communities. Many decades of research and monitoring have conclusively demonstrated that the risks associated with childhood vaccination are exceedingly low and are far outweighed by the benefits of preventing potentially debilitating and deadly diseases. Messaging may also emphasize that respiratory infections like the flu, RSV, and COVID-19 pose a higher risk to certain vulnerable populations, including infants, young children, and older and pregnant adults. Fact Checking Source(s): CDC, AMA
A video clip of a medical advisor comparing SARS-CoV-2 and long COVID to HIV and AIDS led some to claim that long COVID is actually a vaccine injury called vaccine AIDS, or “VAIDS.” A former cardiologist resurfaced the debunked myth that COVID-19 vaccines cause positive HIV tests and that the alleged positive tests are a sign that the vaccine has weakened the immune system.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
Debunking messaging may reiterate that “VAIDS” is not a real disease; it is an anti-vaccine myth. Messaging may also explain that the false claim that COVID-19 vaccines cause positive HIV tests is a misrepresentation of a failed COVID-19 vaccine candidate that contained an HIV protein and research showing that some individuals with COVID-19 infections had false positive HIV tests, possibly due to similarities in the viruses’ proteins. There is no record of any COVID-19 vaccine causing positive HIV tests. Moreover, HIV tests detect the presence of HIV, not immunodeficiency, and thus could not possibly detect immune damage due to HIV, COVID-19, or any other cause. Fact Checking Source(s): Reuters, Health Feedback
A popular right-wing commentator voiced opposition to all childhood vaccines, calling for a class action lawsuit against pediatricians who don’t accept unvaccinated children at their practices. The commentator also promoted the false claim that doctors receive “bribes” for encouraging their patients to get vaccinated.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
In recent years, trust in vaccines and childhood vaccination rates have declined as anti-vaccine rhetoric has become more mainstream. Messaging may emphasize that, unlike most drugs and medical treatments, routine vaccines are mass administered to a primarily young and healthy population. Because of this, vaccines are held to higher testing and safety standards than almost any other medical intervention. All vaccines, new and old, must undergo rigorous safety trials and are closely monitored by health authorities for as long as they are in use. Debunking messaging may also explain that insurance incentive programs require doctors to meet a variety of performance goals related to the quality of patient care and health outcomes, including timely vaccinations, regular appointments, and appropriate use of medications. Fact Checking Source(s): AAP, USA Today
A video of a teenager who died in 2013 allegedly after receiving a flu shot is recirculating among anti-vaccine accounts. The teen’s mother believes that the vaccine caused her son’s death, although no autopsy was performed.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
Stories about unexplained deaths have fueled the anti-vaccine movement for decades. Talking points may emphasize that a child’s death is always tragic, and it’s the responsibility of health and legal authorities to determine whether an adverse side effect occurred after vaccination. In this case, state health officials stated that they had “no evidence of a flu vaccine, or any other kind of vaccine, causing this type of reaction/outcome.” Responding with empathy and acknowledging parents’ concerns about vaccination is recommended, as is explaining how vaccination will help protect children and their families. Messaging may emphasize that flu vaccines are rigorously tested to make sure that they are safe for all vaccinated individuals, including children and teens, and that adverse side effects are extremely rare. Fact Checking Source(s): Everyday Health, Harvard Medical School
Several viral social media posts mock the recent death of a sports reporter who criticized a top-ranked tennis player’s anti-vaccine stance. Many posts insinuate that COVID-19 vaccines are responsible for the reporter’s sudden death.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
The posts are the latest example of the trend of baselessly blaming COVID-19 vaccines for high-profile deaths. Talking points may continue to explain that claims that COVID-19 vaccines cause sudden deaths are based on an anti-vaccine conspiracy theory with no supporting evidence. An analysis of data on all-cause deaths by vaccination status and excess deaths shows there is no link between the vaccines and death. Fact Checking Source(s): PolitiFact, News.com.au, AP News
A recent Chinese coronavirus study has fueled false claims that researchers created a more deadly COVID-19 variant with a “100 percent kill rate” as a bioweapon. The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, infected mice with an existing pangolin coronavirus strain that mutated in a lab.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
False claims and conspiracy theories about the research are circulating rapidly online, promoted by several high-profile figures. Debunking messaging may explain that researchers did not create the mutant virus used in the study and that it is not a SARS-CoV-2 variant or any virus that infects humans. Some experts have questioned the validity of the study, and there is no evidence that the research is related to COVID-19 or that it poses any danger to humans. Fact Checking Source(s): Snopes, TechARP
The American Cancer Society’s 2024 cancer statistics projections are being used to falsely claim that COVID-19 vaccines are responsible for rising cancer rates that were recorded before the vaccines existed. Some have accused the organization of manipulating data to cover up a link between COVID-19 vaccines and cancer deaths.
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
False claims that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer have persisted online for several years and have gained increasing traction in the last few months. Debunking messaging may explain that the two cancer reports circulating in anti-vaccine spaces use pre-pandemic cancer data, making it impossible for the reported or projected cancer rates to be affected by COVID-19 vaccines. Messaging may also emphasize that the claim that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer is an anti-vaccine conspiracy theory. Fact-Checking Source(s): Axios, Health.com Talking Points Are COVID-19 vaccines 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? Severe adverse reactions after vaccination are extremely rare, but can cause long-term health issues. Rare adverse events – such as anaphylaxis and other allergic reactions, blood-clotting syndromes, heart inflammation, autoimmune diseases impacting the nervous system, and death – have been identified and investigated for legitimacy through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). How were the COVID-19 vaccines developed so quickly? 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. Does the COVID-19 vaccine increase risk of miscarriage? Studies show that miscarriages are a common outcome of a typical pregnancy, impacting 11% to 22% of all reported pregnancies. However, there is no evidence to show that pregnancy risks or complications, such as miscarriage, preterm delivery, stillbirth, or birth defects, are increased because of the COVID-19 vaccines. Data do show that experiencing a COVID-19 infection during pregnancy increases the risk of delivering a preterm or stillborn infant. For this reason, vaccination is critical to protect the pregnant person and the infant from negative health outcomes. COVID-19 vaccination provides antibodies to the pregnant person and the baby, protecting them both from the increased risk of serious illness. Why is it important to continue to collect data about COVID-19 cases? Are case counts accurate? COVID-19 case counts and deaths are key public health indicators, but experts agree that the number of COVID cases are likely undercounted and underreported. Case counts vary because of reporting barriers like the convenience of at-home rapid antigen testing and varied access to COVID-19 testing and diagnosis. COVID-19 death reporting is less burdened by the previous barriers but can be impacted by the timing lags in data entry across many systems of monitoring. The CDC COVID Data Tracker is a collaborative hub of COVID-19 monitoring information informed by state and county reports from hospitals, healthcare providers, and laboratories. The CDC makes this data publicly available and reports national COVID-19 data to the World Health Organization, as required under international health regulations. The current key indicators – COVID-19 test positivity, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths – help reveal COVID-19 trends across the nation. The National Center for Health Statistics also updates national statistics guidelines to ensure increased specificity and accuracy of COVID-19 death reporting. The cause-of-death determination guidelines distinguish COVID-19 and post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) as either an immediate or underlying cause of death on death certificates and medical reports. These updates help to clarify if people are dying from COVID-19 illness as an immediate cause of death, or with a COVID-19-related illness or condition as an underlying cause of death. Talking Points and Answers to Tough Questions
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.
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.
It’s true that these specific vaccines were developed more quickly than previous vaccines, but their development built upon many decades of work on coronavirus vaccines and mRNA technology.
No, getting a COVID-19 vaccine does not increase the risk of miscarriage. To date, no monitoring system or studies have identified any association between miscarriage and COVID-19 vaccination.
Accurately tracking the spread of COVID-19 helps federal, state, and local decision-makers allocate critical emergency response funding and develop public health guidance.
In an interview with a right-wing commentator, the Florida surgeon general calls mRNA COVID-19 vaccines the “anti-Christ” and doubles down on the claim that the vaccines could alter DNA.
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
Clips from the interview are circulating widely online, racking up thousands of engagements per hour. Debunking talking points may continue to underscore the FDA’s response to the official’s false claims, namely that after three and a half years of extensive research and rigorous monitoring and two-thirds of the population receiving COVID-19 vaccines, there is no evidence to support the claim that mRNA vaccines alter or be integrated into a person’s DNA. Fact-Checking Source(s): WUSF, FactCheck.org Talking Points Are COVID-19 vaccines 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? Severe adverse reactions after vaccination are extremely rare, but can cause long-term health issues. Rare adverse events – such as anaphylaxis and other allergic reactions, blood-clotting syndromes, heart inflammation, autoimmune diseases impacting the nervous system, and death – have been identified and investigated for legitimacy through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). How were the COVID-19 vaccines developed so quickly? 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. Does the COVID-19 vaccine increase risk of miscarriage? Studies show that miscarriages are a common outcome of a typical pregnancy, impacting 11% to 22% of all reported pregnancies. However, there is no evidence to show that pregnancy risks or complications, such as miscarriage, preterm delivery, stillbirth, or birth defects, are increased because of the COVID-19 vaccines. Data do show that experiencing a COVID-19 infection during pregnancy increases the risk of delivering a preterm or stillborn infant. For this reason, vaccination is critical to protect the pregnant person and the infant from negative health outcomes. COVID-19 vaccination provides antibodies to the pregnant person and the baby, protecting them both from the increased risk of serious illness. Why is it important to continue to collect data about COVID-19 cases? Are case counts accurate? COVID-19 case counts and deaths are key public health indicators, but experts agree that the number of COVID cases are likely undercounted and underreported. Case counts vary because of reporting barriers like the convenience of at-home rapid antigen testing and varied access to COVID-19 testing and diagnosis. COVID-19 death reporting is less burdened by the previous barriers but can be impacted by the timing lags in data entry across many systems of monitoring. The CDC COVID Data Tracker is a collaborative hub of COVID-19 monitoring information informed by state and county reports from hospitals, healthcare providers, and laboratories. The CDC makes this data publicly available and reports national COVID-19 data to the World Health Organization, as required under international health regulations. The current key indicators – COVID-19 test positivity, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths – help reveal COVID-19 trends across the nation. The National Center for Health Statistics also updates national statistics guidelines to ensure increased specificity and accuracy of COVID-19 death reporting. The cause-of-death determination guidelines distinguish COVID-19 and post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) as either an immediate or underlying cause of death on death certificates and medical reports. These updates help to clarify if people are dying from COVID-19 illness as an immediate cause of death, or with a COVID-19-related illness or condition as an underlying cause of death. Talking Points and Answers to Tough Questions
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.
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.
It’s true that these specific vaccines were developed more quickly than previous vaccines, but their development built upon many decades of work on coronavirus vaccines and mRNA technology.
No, getting a COVID-19 vaccine does not increase the risk of miscarriage. To date, no monitoring system or studies have identified any association between miscarriage and COVID-19 vaccination.
Accurately tracking the spread of COVID-19 helps federal, state, and local decision-makers allocate critical emergency response funding and develop public health guidance.
Alerts are categorized as high, medium, and low risk.
- High risk alerts: We recommend directly addressing and debunking the misinformation
- Medium risk alerts: We recommend monitoring the situation but not actively engaging.
- Low risk alerts: Provided for informational purposes. We do not recommend additional action at the moment.
Vaccine Misinformation Guide
Get practical tips for addressing misinformation in this new guide. Click image to download, or see highlights.