Vaccines

Majority plan to skip COVID-19 vaccine, sparking conversation

This week, online posts discussed the lack of public interest in fall COVID-19 vaccines, HHS funding cuts for mRNA vaccines, and vaccinations for the new school year.

Majority plan to skip COVID-19 vaccine, sparking conversation

This week, online posts discussed the lack of public interest in fall COVID-19 vaccines, HHS funding cuts for mRNA vaccines, and vaccinations for the new school year.

Online vaccine conversations this week highlighted declining public trust in vaccines, including childhood, mRNA-based, and COVID-19 immunization. After news broke that the federal government slashed over $500 million in mRNA vaccine research funding, some argued that the public has rejected the technology. This claim was bolstered by recent survey data suggesting that nearly 60 percent of U.S. adults don’t plan to get COVID-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, back-to-school discourse focused on a rise in school vaccine exemptions and parental concerns about childhood vaccines.

Insights brought to you by the reporters and science writers of Public Good News (PGN), a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to improving community health.

An August 1 KFF survey found that 59 percent of Americans don’t intend to get a COVID-19 vaccine this fall. Online responses to the survey argued that people no longer trust vaccines and that the public is “waking up” to the alleged dangers of COVID-19 vaccines in particular. Some users falsely claimed that health officials “admitted” that COVID-19 vaccines are deadly, while others insinuated that the COVID-19 vaccine is going to be secretly added to flu shots or released into the air. Several commenters said they plan to get vaccinated because they or their loved ones are at high risk. Some posts noted that people may be confused about their eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines due to changing guidelines. 

On August 5, the health secretary announced the cancellation of over half a billion dollars in funding for mRNA vaccine research, saying the department will prioritize “safer” vaccines. Experts and social media users discussed the announcement, with many arguing that it undermines public trust in vaccines. A researcher and Nobel Prize winner for pioneering mRNA vaccine research criticized the decision as an attack on science. Some social media users discussed the safety and effectiveness of mRNA vaccines, while others expressed concern about the funding cut’s impact on the development of mRNA-based therapies, particularly cancer vaccines. Anti-vaccine proponents cheered the announcement, calling mRNA vaccines “poison” and “bioweapons.”

Parents online are discussing school vaccination as they prepare for the new school year. Many social media users urged parents to vaccinate their children, citing recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Anti-vaccine posts spreading false claims about vaccine ingredients and vaccine “shedding” and encouraging parents to forgo “toxic” vaccines dominated the responses to news coverage of back-to-school vaccines. Several encouraged parents to seek non-medical vaccine exemptions for their children. This debate follows a new CDC report, which revealed that school vaccine exemptions have reached record highs, with 17 state exemption rates exceeding 5 percent.

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Check out more data on trends in vaccine narratives

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

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.

Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and your family against COVID-19 this fall.

  • Updated 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be available this fall. Vaccination protects against severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. The vaccine protects people of all ages, including healthy children.
  • Years of research show that COVID-19 vaccination reduces the risk of long COVID in adults and children.
  • COVID-19 vaccination is especially important for people who are at high risk, including people who are immunocompromised, 65 and older, and have underlying health conditions, including pregnancy.

mRNA vaccines are safe and based on decades of groundbreaking research that could help us prevent and treat many diseases.

  • Scientists spent decades working on safe and effective mRNA vaccines. They finally achieved that goal in 2020 with COVID-19 vaccines. 
  • Five years later, mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives and spared millions more from severe illness and long COVID—with no evidence of widespread health concerns.  
  • mRNA technology is being used to develop vaccines to protect against multiple cancers and deadly diseases like malaria and AIDS.

Keep your children safe this school year by making sure they’re up to date on their immunizations.

  • Vaccination is the only safe way to protect your child against deadly and debilitating diseases like polio, measles, and whooping cough. 
  • Skipping or delaying recommended vaccines puts your child at unnecessary risk for preventable diseases.
  • Vaccines are very safe, and serious side effects are extremely rare. Children are far more likely to be hurt by a vaccine-preventable disease than by a vaccine.

    Interested in recommendations tailored to public health professionals? Click here.