Online debate continues following claim that taking Tylenol after vaccination triggers autism

Plus, posts discuss vaccine-preventable outbreaks and the benefits of shingles vaccination.

This week’s online vaccine conversations were again dominated by reactions to unproven claims that Tylenol use is linked to autism. As viral posts and videos promoted a host of myths about vaccine ingredients and safety, multiple states reported record-high levels of vaccine-preventable diseases. Meanwhile, discussions about shingles highlighted a mix of positive attitudes toward the shingles vaccine and misleading information about the disease’s cause.

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What’s trending in vaccine conversation:

Conversations about autism continued to spike online following the White House’s acetaminophen announcement. One clip of President Donald Trump claiming that Amish communities have “virtually no autism” has been viewed over 2.7 million times. Many commenters repeated the unproven claim that Amish autism rates are lower because they don’t vaccinate their children, while others argued that children in the insular communities are less likely to be diagnosed. Several viral posts suggested without evidence that taking Tylenol after vaccination causes autism, claiming that the medication prevents vaccine “detoxification.” Several posts reference a genetic mutation that vaccine opponents claim causes severe vaccine reactions, claiming that Tylenol and vaccines trigger the mutation to cause autism. Finally, viral Spanish-language videos spread false claims about the safety of several vaccine ingredients and suggest delaying vaccines until after age 5. Responses to the videos falsely link childhood vaccines to multiple “injuries,” including cancer and autism.

News of measles cases in three states and deaths from pediatric flu and whooping cough sparked online discussions about the real-world impact of anti-vaccine rhetoric and declining childhood immunization. While Georgia health officials confirmed three new measles cases for a total of 10 cases this year, 69 cases have been reported in a measles outbreak along the Arizona-Utah border. Some responded to the news by dismissing it as propaganda and claiming that the measles vaccine causes more deaths than measles, while others blamed the anti-vaccine movement and encouraged parents to vaccinate their children. Meanwhile, Mississippi reported its first whooping cough death in 13 years, while Louisiana is experiencing its worst outbreak of the disease in 35 years. Additionally, a CDC report revealed that flu deaths and severe complications are on the rise in children. Commenters called the news fearmongering, claimed that vaccines do more harm than good, and doubted the effectiveness of vaccines.

A user on an online forum for older adults asked people’s opinions about shingles vaccines. Responses emphasized how “horrible” shingles is and the lasting effects of the disease. Several posters shared their experience with the vaccine and explained the benefits of vaccination. In a separate forum for middle-aged adults, users discussed side effects of shingles vaccination, with most agreeing that shingles is much worse than any potential vaccine side effect. Some commenters expressed a desire to get the vaccine before age 50. Meanwhile, trending posts and videos on multiple platforms discussed a false potential link between COVID-19 vaccination and shingles. Several posts falsely claim that COVID-19 vaccines are one of “the leading causes of shingles.”

Read the fact checks: 

• BBC: Fact-checking claims Trump made about autism 
• Yale School of Public Health: Childhood Vaccinations: Understanding the Impact and Importance of Childhood Vaccinations 
• Piedmont Healthcare: Do you need a shingles vaccine?

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Talking points for health care providers to use in response to trending narratives

Each week the Infodemiology.com team will provide talking points and supporting messages in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. Health care providers can use this messaging when discussing vaccines online, talking to patients, or engaging with communities.

There is no evidence that vaccines or Tylenol cause autism. 

• You may have heard confusing or conflicting information about what causes autism. The reality is that autism is a complex condition that doesn’t have a single cause.
• Doctors and health experts continue to recommend routine childhood vaccination because it is proven safe and the best way to protect children against diseases like measles and whooping cough. 
• Decades of research have proven that vaccines do not cause autism. Additionally, no study has ever found evidence that Tylenol use during pregnancy or in childhood causes autism.   
• Your health care provider is the best source for health-related questions. Sites like HealthyChildren.org, the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and CIDRAP also provide accurate information about vaccines.

Skipping or delaying routine vaccination puts children, families, and communities at unnecessary risk.

• Childhood vaccination rates for routine vaccines, such as MMR, DTAP, and flu, are declining, resulting in larger and more severe outbreaks. 
• Multiple vaccine-preventable diseases are at record-high levels with rising deaths because a majority of communities in the U.S. have vaccination rates too low to prevent the diseases from spreading.
• Vaccines are the only safe way to protect children from deadly and debilitating diseases like measles and whooping cough.

Vaccination is the best way to prevent shingles, a serious disease caused by the herpes zoster virus.

• Shingles is a painful rash caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus. The virus remains dormant in the body after a chicken pox infection and may be triggered by a weakened immune system, most commonly caused by aging, certain medications, or stress.
• Some people have falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccines cause shingles. This is an anti-vaccine myth. Very rarely, people with already weakened immune systems may develop shingles triggered by an infection, such as COVID-19, the flu, or a vaccine. 
• Older adults and individuals with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk of developing shingles. People 50 and older, as well as adults with weakened immune systems, should get two doses of the shingles vaccine, which is over 90 percent effective.
  
  Interested in recommendations tailored to public health professionals? Click here.