Vaccines

France’s flu vaccine mandate for certain health care workers faces pushback online

Plus, an Irish tabloid fueled a rise in false claims that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe.

France’s new measure mandating flu vaccines for assisted living residents and some health care workers sparked controversy. Plus, an Irish tabloid’s reporting on COVID-19 vaccine complications in two patients with a rare health condition incited false claims about vaccine safety.

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In late October, the French parliament approved a measure that would mandate flu vaccination for assisted living residents and some health care workers at higher risk of infection. The measure will only apply if the National Authority for Health recommends it. Health care workers with medically recognized contraindications, like allergies to vaccine ingredients, would be exempt. In response, social media users across platforms shared articles about the measure. Most commenters expressed outrage, particularly regarding health care workers, and said that vaccine mandates threaten bodily autonomy. Some who identified themselves as health care workers suggested that the mandate would lead to mass resignations. A few social media users falsely claimed that the mandate would apply to all French citizens, and several suggested that the flu vaccine is unnecessary.

On October 23, an Irish tabloid reported that people with certain hormone disorders may become sick after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. The article highlighted two patients in Ireland with adrenal insufficiency, a rare condition that affects hormone production, who were allegedly hospitalized after vaccination. While complications can occur in people with adrenal insufficiency, vaccination is still recommended because the risk of complications from infections is higher than the risk of vaccine-related complications. Many social media users sharing the article falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe for everyone and accused government agencies and health care providers of concealing the vaccines’ alleged dangers.

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

Health messaging recommendations

Each week, the Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. These helpful tips can be used when creating content, updating web and FAQ pages, and developing strategy for messaging about health.

A new flu variant is driving a rise in infections across Europe. In response to frustration about flu vaccine mandates, messaging may emphasize that the flu is not just a “bad cold.” It can cause serious health problems, hospitalization, and death, especially in higher-risk groups like older adults and people with certain health conditions. Vaccination helps protect against the flu and related complications. Messaging may note that the flu vaccine protects not only the person receiving it but also helps reduce transmission to others. Messaging may also emphasize that the flu vaccine is safe, and is updated each year to target more recently circulating variants.

Vaccine opponents frequently use reports of rare adverse reactions to falsely claim that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe. Messaging may emphasize that COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested and monitored using strict safety standards. Cases are expected to rise in the coming months, and staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccination is critical to help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, death, and health complications this fall and winter.