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.
Several trending posts this week have referenced President Biden’s “COVID-19 rebound.” A congressperson’s social media post suggesting that COVID-19 vaccines are ineffective and questioning why they are mandated for soldiers received over 71,000 engagements.
Recommendation: 
An article on a well-known anti-vaccine website claims that medical professionals diagnose medical conditions to cover up vaccine side effects. The article’s most popular comment states that a “positive outcome” of COVID-19 is that people are now skeptical of all vaccines.
Recommendation:
A video posted to social media claims that COVID-19 vaccines can trigger or worsen existing autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. The video has been viewed over a million times and shared nearly 20,000 times.
Recommendation: 
A satire news site published a fabricated story claiming that the U.S. military found the anti-nausea drug scopolamine in COVID-19 vaccines meant for children. The Department of Defense, FDA, CDC, and Pfizer have all dismissed the story as completely false. The site published a similar hoax story in May when it falsely claimed that the U.S. military found pesticides in the Moderna vaccine.
Recommendation: 
An article on a conspiracy news site claims to use data from the German government to conclude that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe and cause serious injuries in 1 in 300 vaccine recipients. The source of this misinterpreted statistic is the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, the health regulatory body that collects self-reported suspected vaccine adverse events, similar to VAERS in the U.S. and Yellow Card in the U.K. Paul-Ehrlich-Institut reported that 0.2 serious adverse events were reported per 1,000 vaccine doses. The article then arbitrarily claims that vaccine safety monitoring systems underreport adverse events, suggesting that the actual serious adverse event rate is 1 in 300 doses.
Recommendation:
News that President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 is fueling misinformation about the effectiveness of vaccines. Some vaccine skeptics argue that the fact that vaccinated people can still contract COVID-19 is evidence that the vaccines are ineffective while others are circulating a video clip from last year showing the president saying that vaccinated people will not contract COVID-19.
Recommendation:
A U.S. senator shared a blog post that claims that U.S. health authorities are not using scientific evidence to support decisions about COVID-19 vaccines, particularly with respect to vaccines for children. The senator’s post suggests that the CDC had insufficient evidence to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for children under age 5.
Recommendation:
A conspiracy blog published an article claiming that there have been twice as many deaths from COVID-19 vaccines as from COVID-19 infections. The article’s claim is based on a telephone survey that asked participants if someone in their household had died from COVID-19 or a COVID-19 vaccine. The polls were conducted by a vocal opponent of COVID-19 vaccines who is known for promoting vaccine misinformation.
Recommendation:
A recent article that has gained traction on social media falsely claims that a two-month-old baby died from cardiac arrest after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The story is reportedly based on a VAERS report.
Recommendation:
Accusations are circulating in conservative media that the COVID-19 vaccine mandate is “destroying” the military as around 60,000 Army Reserve and National Guard members face loss of military duties and pay and other disciplinary actions for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
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.