Vaccines

Conflicting COVID-19 vaccine guidance causes confusion

This week, a new COVID-19 variant sparked concern and skepticism online, while a congressional hearing fueled false narratives about COVID-19 vaccine safety.

Conflicting COVID-19 vaccine guidance causes confusion

This week, a new COVID-19 variant sparked concern and skepticism online, while a congressional hearing fueled false narratives about COVID-19 vaccine safety.

This week, updates to the federal COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and a congressional hearing dominated online discussions about vaccines. Days after HHS announced that the CDC would stop recommending COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children and pregnant people, the agency included the vaccines in its updated childhood vaccine schedule, causing confusion and concern about vaccine access. Reports of a new COVID-19 variant that could increase cases and hospitalizations have added to these concerns. Meanwhile, a recent congressional hearing provided a platform for several anti-vaccine figures to promote false claims about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

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On May 27, the HHS secretary shared a video announcing that the CDC will no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children and pregnant people. Many social media users responded to the announcement with dismay, noting that experts in the field, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, condemned the change. Other social media users celebrated the news as a “step in the right direction.” However, the CDC’s updated recommended childhood immunization schedule states that healthy children and teens may receive COVID-19 vaccines through “shared clinical decision-making” between parents and health care providers.

On May 23, WHO announced that it is monitoring the COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1, which is linked to a spike in cases and hospitalizations in several countries. Experts warn that the variant may cause a surge in U.S. COVID-19 cases this summer, but emphasize that there is currently no indication that it causes more severe illness than other recently dominant variants. Online discussions of the variant focused on symptoms, prevention measures, and the potential impact of recent federal COVID-19 guidance changes on vaccine uptake. Some users expressed confusion about who is eligible for 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines, while others were unsure if insurance would cover the vaccines. Many social media users declared that they don’t care about COVID-19 and dismissed news coverage as fearmongering. Several posts claimed that current vaccines won’t work because they are mismatched to newer variants.

A May 21 congressional hearing and report, led by a congressman who had previously promoted COVID-19 conspiracy theories, accuses federal health officials of misleading the public about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. The report alleges that the officials downplayed the risks of COVID-19 vaccination, particularly myocarditis, and failed to warn the public. Several well-known anti-vaccine advocates testified during the hearing, claiming without evidence that COVID-19 vaccines caused an increase in cardiac deaths and miscarriages. This comes as news broke that the FDA asked Pfizer and Moderna in April to update the warning labels on their COVID-19 vaccines regarding potential cardiac risks. Social media users responded to the testimony, report, and updated warning label by promoting a host of false claims about mRNA vaccines and COVID-19 vaccine safety. Some users also resurfaced the myth that COVID-19 vaccines are killing or injuring thousands of athletes.

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Recommendations brought to you by the health communication experts behind Infodemiology.com.

Recommendations for public health professionals

Each week the Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. Use these helpful tips when creating content, updating web pages and FAQs, and to inform strategy for messaging about vaccines.

Conflicting COVID-19 vaccine guidance may create barriers for people to get vaccinated and cause confusion about insurance coverage of COVID-19 vaccines. Health communicators may emphasize that experts in pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and infectious diseases continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for people older than 6 months and pregnant people.

Online conversations about NB.1.8.1 suggest that many people have lost interest in COVID-19 and no longer consider vaccines necessary or effective. Messaging may explain that the new COVID-19 variant is driving up cases in several countries and may cause a surge in U.S. cases this summer. Talking points may emphasize that getting vaccinated is still the best way to help protect against COVID-19, including from NB.1.8.1.

Misleading claims about COVID-19 vaccine safety from high-profile figures may cause vaccine hesitancy and distrust of public health guidance. Debunking messaging may explain that five years of safety testing and monitoring—and billions of vaccinated people—show that COVID-19 vaccines are safe. Additionally, health communicators may emphasize that vaccination is linked to a decreased risk of COVID-19-related heart complications.


Interested in recommendations tailored to health care providers? Click here.