New long COVID study reinforces the importance of vaccination
VaccinesThis week, two presidential candidates promoted vaccine myths, adult chickenpox went viral, and school vaccines drew ire in the South....
Vaccines
Tracking vaccine narratives for health care providers
Explore vaccine discourse and use our real-time dashboards below for the most up-to-date information in your area. Insights are updated by Friday of each week.
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False claims circulate about COVID-19 vaccines and dementia
VaccinesIn trending conversations this week, fearmongering about pediatric vaccine safety on the rise as measles outbreaks in the Northwest and Midwest sparked false claims....
Viral post claims that childhood vaccines are unsafe and unnecessary
NationalA widely-circulated blog post falsely claims that routine childhood vaccines have few benefits and many serious side effects. The article argues that vaccines are unnecessary because childhood diseases are no longer a threat and repeats myths about the safety of many vaccines. Recommendation: Trending blog posts promoting false claims about...
Study claims that COVID-19 vaccines reduce life expectancy
NationalVaccine opponents are circulating a new Italian study that claims to have found a decrease in life expectancy following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. The study assessed death from any cause in people who were unvaccinated and those who had received one or more vaccine doses, finding that a higher number of...
CDC’s updated COVID-19 vaccine recommendation stirs up controversy
NationalIn late June, the CDC recommended that people 6 months and older receive updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines in the fall. Social media posts in English and Spanish criticized the recommendation, arguing that the vaccines are unnecessary and unsafe. Recommendation: News about the CDC’s fall COVID-19 vaccine recommendations may...
Another human bird flu case generates conversation about potential bird flu vaccines
WestOn July 3, a Colorado dairy farm worker became the fourth person to contract H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. this year. The person only reported eye symptoms and has fully recovered after treatment. The CDC reported that the risk to humans remains low and that farm workers who...
Social media users celebrate Tennessee woman’s win of a settlement for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine
SouthLast week, a Tennessee woman who had been fired from Blue Cross Blue Shield for refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine won a $700,000 settlement. Within a day, news of the settlement spread across multiple news outlets and social media platforms. Some social media users called the woman a...
Wisconsin whooping cough guidance causes controversy
MidwestLast week, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WDHS) announced that as of July 1, the state had 126 cases of whooping cough—more than double the number of cases last year—and recommended that residents stay up to date on whooping cough vaccines. WDHS shared its recommendations on social...
The Supreme Court upholds Connecticut’s school vaccine requirements, sparking online debate
NortheastOn June 24, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to a 2021 Connecticut law that does not allow religious exemptions for vaccine mandates in schools, colleges, and daycare facilities. The “health freedom” group that filed the lawsuit argued that the law violated parents’ religious freedom. Within a day, news of...
Social media users express frustration with low MMR vaccination rates in Colorado
WestIn multiple news articles last week, Colorado public health officials urged residents to stay up to date on recommended vaccines as outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles occur across the country. One article reported that only 88 percent of the state’s kindergarten students have received their measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine....
Florida mother calls attention to alleged COVID-19 vaccine injuries with proposed Cody’s Law
SouthA Florida mother proposed a bill called Cody’s Law that would allow people with alleged COVID-19 vaccine injuries to receive expedited Medicaid. Last week, she and several other social media users posted about the bill across multiple platforms, tagging Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and asking him to support the...
Minneapolis photojournalist who claims to have been injured by a COVID-19 vaccine garners support online
MidwestAn article on a conspiracy news website recently shared the story of a Minneapolis photojournalist who claims to be experiencing weakness, headaches, and brain fog due to an alleged COVID-19 vaccine injury. The story was published on another conspiracy news website and shared on multiple social media platforms. Comments on...
Social media users support New York midwife who destroyed COVID-19 vaccines and distributed fake cards
NortheastLast week, a New York midwife pleaded guilty to destroying 2,600 COVID-19 vaccines, distributing a corresponding number of fake COVID-19 vaccine cards, and falsely reporting COVID-19 vaccinations to the state’s database. According to the midwife’s lawyer, “She believes that her actions were justified by moral necessity though...
Images of alleged vaccine-related blood clots circulate online
NationalImages and videos of large blood clots that are allegedly linked to COVID-19 vaccines have resurfaced online. These images are circulating widely in English and Spanish-language posts, with social media users expressing concerns about COVID-19 vaccine safety. Recommendation: Alarming images of blood clots allegedly linked to vaccines circulate periodically, with...
Posts circulate myths about hepatitis B vaccines for infants
NationalSeveral large social media accounts are circulating false claims about hepatitis B vaccines, including myths that the vaccine is unsafe and unnecessary for infants. One post falsely claims that the disease doesn’t pose a risk to babies and that the vaccine contains a toxic amount of aluminum. Recommendation: Trending...