Misinformation

Trending Misinformation about Vaccines & COVID-19

• Fact checking sites are debunking a Facebook post that claims that school attendance is considered consent to vaccination. This information is based on a misleading Facebook post which inaccurately reports on vaccine programs in which parents had received advance notice of school immunization programs. 
• Claims that masks are ineffective continue to circulate, including posts on Facebook which inaccurately claim that masks “collect” COVID-19. For the second week in a row, these statements misrepresent a recent CDC study which showed that 85% of COVID-19 patients stated that they ‘always’ or ‘often’ wear a mask. Masks, when worn properly, have been consistently found to be one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 
• The prospect of COVID-19 immunity has been misrepresented on social media in the past week, with some posts claiming that much of the US population already has immunity to COVID-19 due to exposure to similar coronaviruses, and others claiming that COVID-19 immunity is lifelong. Much remains unknown about immunity to the virus, and there is little known about how long antibodies or immune cells last among those who have been infected with COVID-19. 
• Social media sites Facebook and Youtube are receiving criticism from people who believe the platforms’ efforts to curb false information about COVID-19 and vaccines is unjustified censorship.

Trending Misinformation about Vaccines & COVID-19

• Research from the CDC about mask-use among COVID-19 patients is being interpreted to suggest that masks don’t work. In particular, news stories and social media posts are highlighting the statistic that 85% of COVID-19 patients in the CDC report stated that they ‘always’ or ‘often’ wear a mask.
• A video claiming that one of the developing COVID-19 vaccines causes sterility in 97% of women, impacts male sexual organs, and will change the DNA of recipients is recirculating. The claims have been repeated multiple times throughout the past few months. The claims have been debunked by Reuters for its misleading and false claims.  
• On Twitter, an article is circulating which discusses unpublished research claiming that there are fewer incidences of autism among unvaccinated children compared to fully vaccinated children. Reputable peer-reviewed studies have repeatedly shown there is no link between receiving vaccines and developing autism spectrum disorder.

Trending Misinformation about Vaccines & COVID-19

• A post on Twitter circulated, stating that vitamin D would be a more effective treatment for COVID-19 than a vaccine. Throughout the pandemic, vitamin D has frequently appeared in news stories and social media in various forms, portrayed as a cure for COVID-19, a treatment option, and as a way to prevent the spread of the disease. 
• A tweet is circulating, claiming that vaccines contain toxic levels of mercury and lead – a topic that frequently trends in conversation about vaccines. 
• Cornell University released a study identifying top sources of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study identified the top 11 misinformation themes, as well as the top accounts that appear to be driving those themes. The study also found that only 16% of all misinformation identified included a fact-checking element. Results from this study have been circulating widely in the media. 
• Several videos and posts on social media are reporting that individuals have died due to wearing face masks. Several of the stories focused specifically on the death of children, while others claim that face masks restrict oxygen flow and increase carbon dioxide. All of these claims have been debunked by various fact checking sources. 
• A tweet is claiming that deaths from COVID-19 are fewer than those from the yearly flu. According to the CDC, the flu claims on average fewer than 40,000 lives each year, compared to the 200K+ for COVID-19.