Trending Misinformation about Vaccines & COVID-19
- News and social media sites have shared a story about a nurse in Nashville who claims that her COVID-19 vaccine has caused Bell’s palsy. Bell’s palsy was also reported among a handful of vaccine trial participants, but not more than would be expected by chance, and there is no definitive link between the vaccine and paralysis.
- A Facebook photo has been shared that shows a photo of a bloody and disheveled hospital room with a fake CNN screen reading, “Breaking News: Hospitals on lockdown as first COVID-19 vaccine patients start eating other patients.” There is no evidence that reactions from the vaccine have caused individuals to develop cannibalistic tendencies, and the post has been debunked by multiple fact checking sites.
- Several stories have been trending around adverse reactions to the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Last week a story about a nurse who fainted after receiving her Pfizer vaccine was trending, and in the last 24 hours the story has escalated to claim that she has now died from the vaccine (which is false). A story about a physician at Boston Medical Center who went into anaphylactic shock after receiving the Moderna vaccine also caused a spike in claims that vaccine ingredients are unsafe. The CDC asks individuals with a history of severe allergies to vaccines to consult their physician before receiving the vaccine.
- A photograph was circulated on social media showing the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine being delivered though an electronic cigarette. Though initially shared humorously, it has created some confusion about whether the vaccine could be delivered using this method. These claims have since been fact checked by multiple sources as false. The Pfizer vaccine is currently only available via intramuscular injection, according to the CDC, and no pharmaceutical company has manufactured a vaccine in vape form. In addition, the vaccine comes in vials of multiple doses, not one, as shown in the photo.