The Infodemiology Brief —

Executive order targeting vaccine schedule fuels online debate

Plus, posts voice concerns about potential Ebola and Lyme disease vaccines as a SIDS study causes controversy.

Online vaccine conversations in June were shaped by debates over changes to federal vaccine guidance and renewed attention to vaccine safety. A late-May executive order reignited discussion about differences between evidence-based immunization schedules and evolving federal recommendations, while reports of rising Lyme disease cases and a growing Ebola outbreak prompted conversations about the development of new vaccines. Meanwhile, the removal of a flawed study resurfaced decades-old false claims linking routine childhood vaccines to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), despite extensive evidence showing no association.

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Trending narratives from the past month

Federal vaccine guidance continues to dominate headlines and online discourse
A May 29 executive order directing federal agencies to assess and potentially “realign” the U.S. childhood immunization schedule with those of peer nations reignited debate over routine childhood vaccination. The order follows changes to the CDC’s overhauled schedule, which was blocked by a federal judge in March, and calls for reducing the number of universally recommended vaccines. Supporters argued that children receive too many vaccines and repeated the misleading claim that U.S. children receive more than 70 vaccinations. Critics expressed concern that the changes could increase vaccine hesitancy, lower vaccination rates, and raise the risk of outbreaks. Similar debates emerged a few weeks later when the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released an evidence-based maternal immunization schedule that differs from current CDC guidance. While supporters emphasized its role in protecting pregnant people and their infants, critics falsely claimed that vaccination during pregnancy is unsafe. Read the fact checks here and here.

Concern grows about rising infectious diseases as some oppose new vaccines to combat them
Following a late-May announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to address the growing threat of tick-borne diseases, online conversations focused on rising Lyme disease cases and efforts to develop new vaccines. While many users discussed factors contributing to expanding tick populations, including climate change, others falsely claimed that genetically modified ticks are being released to justify Lyme disease vaccine mandates or increase cases of alpha-gal syndrome. Similar narratives emerged as the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo surpassed 1,000 reported cases in June. Although several Ebola vaccines are in clinical trials, some social media users falsely claimed the outbreak was deliberately engineered to force vaccination. Read the fact checks here and here.

Removed study resurfaces false claim that SIDS is linked to vaccines
Online conversations about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) increased after a scientific journal removed a 2021 study that claimed routine childhood vaccines were linked to SIDS. The journal cited “serious methodological flaws,” and its publisher warned that the paper’s conclusions could pose risks to public health if applied in clinical practice. On June 11, the U.S. health secretary publicly questioned the journal’s decision, prompting criticism from public health experts who accused the official of pressuring the journal to reinstate the study. Vaccine opponents responded by claiming, without evidence, that journals are suppressing research that challenges vaccine safety, pointing to several recent studies that have been retracted, removed, or flagged for methodological concerns. Read the fact checks here and here.

What you might say in response

Evidence-based vaccine schedules protect people from deadly diseases before they’re exposed.

  • Vaccine recommendations from major medical and health organizations are based on decades of research showing that vaccines are safe, effective, and provide protection when infants, children, and pregnant people are most vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases.
  • Vaccines work by training your immune system to recognize and fight harmful germs. Many vaccines require multiple doses to build the strongest, longest-lasting protection.
  • Every recommended vaccine undergoes rigorous testing and continuous safety monitoring. Research has consistently shown that receiving multiple vaccines at the same visit is safe and does not overwhelm the immune system.
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics’s childhood vaccine schedule is supported by decades of scientific evidence and endorsed by more than a dozen leading medical organizations.
  • ACOG’s maternal immunization schedule is evidence-based and endorsed by 13 major medical and health organizations.

Vaccines undergo rigorous testing before they are recommended to protect against serious diseases.

  • Scientists continue to develop new vaccines to protect people from emerging and existing infectious diseases. Before a new vaccine is approved, it undergoes extensive laboratory research and clinical trials to evaluate its safety and effectiveness. After approval, vaccines continue to be monitored through multiple safety systems.
  • Tick bites can spread serious illnesses, including Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome. You can reduce your risk by wearing protective clothing, using an EPA-registered insect repellent, and checking your skin, clothing, and pets for ticks after spending time in wooded or grassy areas.
  • The current risk of Ebola to people in the U.S. remains low. Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of someone who is sick or has died from the disease. Because it is not spread through the air and is most contagious when symptoms are severe, widespread transmission is unlikely.

The science hasn’t changed: Vaccines don’t cause SIDS. They protect babies from deadly diseases.

  • Although the exact cause of SIDS remains unknown, decades of research have found no link between SIDS and any childhood vaccine.
  • Research consistently shows that vaccinated and unvaccinated infants experience SIDS at similar rates. Some studies have even found that vaccinated infants may have a lower risk of SIDS.
  • Vaccination is the only safe way to protect your baby from preventable diseases like measles, whooping cough, and polio. Following the recommended immunization schedule helps protect babies when they are most vulnerable.

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