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.
News coverage of a measles outbreak in Florida and cases in 14 other states led to online discourse about the disease and the MMR vaccine. Much of the discourse is related to the Florida surgeon general’s letter to parents, which does not encourage vaccination and allows unvaccinated children to continue attending school. Some online posts falsely claim that measles isn’t real and that recent measles outbreaks are linked to vaccination campaigns.
Recommendation: 
In an interview with a popular right-wing commentator, a tech entrepreneur-turned-vaccine conspiracist repeated several myths about COVID-19 vaccines. A clip from the video that has millions of views repeats the debunked claim that COVID-19 vaccines caused 17 million deaths and are the most dangerous vaccine of all time.
Recommendation: 
A measles outbreak at an elementary school in Florida’s Broward County prompted the circulation of debunked myths about the disease and the MMR vaccine. Some vaccine opponents claim that COVID-19 or measles vaccines caused the outbreak, while others argue that measles isn’t serious and that vaccines are unnecessary. Notably, some opposition to measles vaccination appears to be an extension of the skepticism about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.
Recommendation:
The global safety study that identified several extremely rare risks associated with COVID-19 vaccines is being distorted and misrepresented online. Some posts include lists and misleading graphs of the increased risks identified in the study, while others contradict the study’s findings to overstate the risks and falsely insinuate that health authorities denied risks that have been formally recognized since 2021.
Recommendation:
Several viral posts falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccine recipients are ineligible to donate blood through the Red Cross. Days later, an audio clip of an alleged Red Cross official saying that blood is not separated by vaccination status has caused outrage.
Recommendation: 
In an interview with a popular right-wing commentator, a tech entrepreneur-turned-vaccine conspiracist repeated several myths about COVID-19 vaccines. A clip from the video that has millions of views repeats the debunked claim that COVID-19 vaccines caused 17 million deaths and are the most dangerous vaccine of all time.
Recommendation:
Several posts are circulating images of a flu vaccine package insert, claiming that it proves flu vaccines are an ineffective scam. Other posts claim that flu vaccines are untested and may be linked to cancer and sterility.
Recommendation:
A widely circulated post claims that the WHO administered 50 million smallpox vaccines in Africa that were laced with HIV. The post includes an image of a 1987 news article promoting the conspiracy theory that vaccines “triggered the AIDS virus.”
Recommendation:
Some social media accounts expressed outrage over a Pfizer ad about future cancer treatments that aired during the Super Bowl. Some posts criticized a starting player’s participation in a previous Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine ad, while others accused the pharmaceutical giant of producing cancer drugs to treat so-called “turbo cancers” allegedly linked to COVID-19 vaccines.
Recommendation:
Several vaccine opponents published a review article that questions mRNA COVID-19 vaccine safety. The paper calls to ban the vaccines and promotes the baseless claim that COVID-19 vaccines killed 14 times as many people as they have saved.
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.