Trending Misinformation about Vaccines & COVID-19
- Claims are spreading on Facebook and Twitter that asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 is not real, based on a research paper published in Nature in November. The paper analyzed the spread of COVID-19 in Wuhan, finding low asymptomatic spread. However, researchers stated that strict measures public health measures were successful in reducing the virulence of COVID in Wuhan and that asymptomatic people in Wuhan may have low viral loads – therefore, the finding cannot be applied to countries with large, active outbreaks. Throughout the pandemic scientists have been working to understand the risk of transmission by asymptomatic carriers, and have continued to find that asymptomatic spreading contributes to the ongoing case numbers.
- Several tweets from the UK are circulating, alleging that a new variation of the coronavirus was caused by Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. There are two important things to know about this claim: first, the new variant emerged in September of this year and began circulating at low levels in the population recently. Second, Pfizer’s vaccine uses mRNA technology and cannot give recipients an infection of the virus. Experts believe that the current COVID-19 vaccines will work against the variant.
- A trending tweet questions whether flu cases are being misdiagnosed as COVID-19, with the tweet claiming it suspicious that flu cases have decreased so much in the current flu season compared to years past. Although the two illnesses have some similarities, swab tests to check for COVID-19 infection are highly specific and it unlikely that the flu would be misdiagnosed in a COVID-19 swab test. Experts also believe that flu cases are down this year because more people have gotten the flu shot and are wearing masks, two protective behaviors that reduce the spread of the flu.
- In a recent Facebook live, a claim was made that vaccine standards have been reduced for COVID-19 vaccines. The claims are false, as COVID-19 vaccines must pass the same safety standards as any vaccine prior to being approved for use.
- Social media users are recirculating a common false claim that flu vaccination increases the risk of COVID-death. These claims have been repeatedly debunked throughout the pandemic. A recent study found that flu vaccination does not impact COVID-19 related morbidity or mortality.
- Posts on social media platforms are downplaying the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, through claims that death counts are inflated, and that the virus and pandemic do not exist. This claim has been widely debunked since the beginning of the pandemic, and health experts have argued that death and COVID-19 infection rates are likely undercounted.