A popular conservative political commentator hosted an interview with a tech entrepreneur-turned-vaccine conspiracist who promoted false claims about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. One of the debunked claims is that COVID-19 vaccines caused 17 million deaths and that they’re some of the most dangerous vaccines of all time. Several...
A Wyoming representative introduced a bill that would require blood donors to disclose whether or not they have received any mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. A popular social media post stated this bill would allow blood donation recipients to request “non-contaminated” blood. Risk level: Medium Recommendation: Social media posts referencing blood that...
As of February 23, seven cases of measles have been confirmed in Florida children under the age of 14. In response, some social media posts about the outbreak are spreading false claims about measles and the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. Some posts claim that the current outbreak of measles in Florida...
A Minnesota senator introduced bill SF610, which would allow daycare providers to deny enrollment to children who are not up to date on state-required vaccinations. Organizations voicing support for the bill include the Minnesota Child Care Association, the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Freedom Foundation of Minnesota,...
A doctor with a large social media platform shared a post about a New Hampshire bill that would require death certificates to include vaccination status. The doctor stated that this bill “makes sense” due to the number of unexpected deaths in New Hampshire, implying that COVID-19 vaccines are to blame....
Several Spanish-language social media accounts are falsely claiming that measles never existed and insinuating that the vaccine against the virus is unwarranted. Additionally, two of the posters attached a video of a man falsely claiming that a German court ruled that the virus never existed. Risk level: Medium Recommendation: These...
A chart showing deaths reported to VAERS by vaccine type is circulating in English and Spanish on social media. Vaccine opponents claim that the chart proves COVID-19 vaccines have caused more deaths than all other vaccines combined. Risk level: High Recommendation: VAERS data is frequently misused and misinterpreted to discourage...
The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic held a multi-part hearing on “Assessing America’s Vaccine Safety Systems.” The subcommittee includes several physicians along with a congressperson known for promoting COVID-19 conspiracy theories. Online vaccine opponents are misrepresenting federal health officials’ testimony about VAERS reports to falsely claim that COVID-19...
A proposed Idaho bill seeks to change the state’s vaccine registry from opt-out to opt-in. The change would require parents to choose to include their child’s vaccination status in the statewide database. Proponents of the bill say it will protect privacy and ensure informed consent, while opponents argue...
A Texas state senator sent a letter to the Texas Medical Board, calling for a ban on COVID-19 vaccines and repeating the false claims that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer and excess deaths. Meanwhile, the Texas attorney general’s debunked claims that COVID-19 vaccines are ineffective have resurfaced. Risk level: High...