Misinformation Alerts

High-profile figures continue to promote the persistent myth that childhood vaccines cause autism. Debunking messaging may emphasize that the claim is false on three grounds. 

First, researchers who have searched for a potential connection between vaccines and autism for decades have never found any evidence linking the two. The original study made the claim was retracted due to its unethical research practices. 

Second, Amish children do have autism, albeit at lower rates than the general population. One preliminary study found that Amish children are diagnosed with autism at about a third of the national rate, which may be at least partially due to differences in how Amish parents report their children’s behavior. 

Finally, only around 14 percent of Amish parents refuse vaccinations for their children. That means that the majority of Amish children have received at least some vaccines.

Fact Checking Source(s): Snopes, Health Feedback, Very Well Health, CHOP

Vaccine opponents have used false claims about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines to undermine vaccination efforts since the vaccines’ rollout. The persistence of these claims and their potential to discourage vaccination increases their risk. Debunking messaging may explain that the claims in the article are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of vaccine efficacy. No COVID-19 vaccines had 100 percent efficacy,  so some breakthrough cases were expected. This is true of every vaccine. 

Clinical trial data included breakthrough data, and the CDC began reporting breakthrough infections as soon as vaccines were rolled out. Emphasizing that studies have consistently demonstrated that unvaccinated people are at far higher risk from COVID-19 than vaccinated people is recommended. During the period discussed in the article, nearly all COVID-19 deaths and a large majority of hospitalizations were among unvaccinated people. It is indisputable that vaccines saved millions of lives worldwide.

Fact Checking Source(s): CIDRAP, Common Wealth Fund

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):

• FactCheck.org, USA Today

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):

• AP News, CIDRAP, PBS

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