Online conversation echoes call for global ban on thimerosal in vaccines
Plus, social media users debated an onslaught of “anti-science” state laws and evidence that COVID-19 vaccines may boost response to cancer treatment.
Plus, social media users debated an onslaught of “anti-science” state laws and evidence that COVID-19 vaccines may boost response to cancer treatment.
In a recent video, the U.S. health secretary called for thimerosal to be removed from all vaccines worldwide, resurfacing long-debunked myths about the vaccine ingredient’s alleged toxicity. Meanwhile, Idaho’s ban on vaccine mandates sparked national debate, and new evidence emerged that mRNA COVID-19 vaccination is associated with improved survival in cancer patients.
Insights brought to you by the reporters and science writers of Public Good News (PGN), a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to improving community health.
What’s trending in vaccine conversation:
On November 3, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released a video calling on global health authorities to remove mercury from all vaccines. In a social media post, he misleadingly refers to mercury-based preservative in vaccines (thimerosal) as a “deadly neurotoxin.” The video received over 2,700 responses in 24 hours, with many supporting the call and falsely claiming that thimerosal in vaccines is dangerous and causes autism and dementia. Several popular anti-vaccine accounts circulated the video, advocating for the removal of aluminum and other allegedly “toxic” ingredients from vaccines. Some posts pushed back on the claims, highlighting evidence that vaccine ingredients like thimerosal and aluminum are safe.
An October 20 ProPublica article about the Idaho Medical Freedom Act, which bans schools and employers from requiring vaccinations, fueled a debate about vaccine mandates. The article suggests that the law, which went into effect this summer, will serve as a national model for vaccine opponents. Some responses to the article emphasized the importance of herd immunity and expressed concern that the law would block schools from protecting students from vaccine-preventable outbreaks. A prominent anti-vaccine figure who posted about the law received responses calling for a national ban on vaccine requirements. Conversations about the law come in the wake of an AP News investigation that identified hundreds of “anti-science” bills at the state level.
A recent Nature study found that advanced skin and lung cancer patients who received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines before beginning immunotherapy survived for nearly twice as long as unvaccinated patients. The researchers suggested that the vaccines may help prime the immune system to fight cancer cells. Responses to the study were mixed, with some emphasizing the unexpected benefits of vaccination and others dismissing the study as “ridiculous.” Several posts continued to promote the myth that COVID-19 vaccines caused a cancer “epidemic,” while others called for increased funding for mRNA research.
Read the fact checks:
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Fact Checked: Extensive Research Shows Thimerosal is Safe
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: Why It’s Important to Be Up to Date on Vaccines
- Snopes: New study showed mRNA COVID-19 vaccines help extend cancer survival?
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.
Recent statements from health officials may lead to additional skepticism of vaccine ingredients, including thimerosal. Health communicators may explain that decades of research have shown thimerosal to be safe and that many countries worldwide use vaccines with thimerosal with no safety issues. Debunking messaging may explain that thimerosal, which prevents contamination in vaccines, contains a form of mercury that is harmless to humans in small doses.
Idaho’s ban on vaccine requirements may lead to more conversation about why schools require immunizations to prevent disease outbreaks. Health communicators may highlight the decades of evidence showing that routine childhood vaccines are safe and effective. Talking points may emphasize the importance of herd immunity to protect the most vulnerable, such as infants and children who are too young to be fully vaccinated.
Conversations about COVID-19 vaccines and cancer allow health communicators to highlight new evidence that mRNA COVID-19 vaccination is linked to longer survival in some cancer patients. Messaging may explain that as COVID-19 vaccines prime the immune system to fight COVID-19, they may also enhance its ability to fight cancer. Communicators may add that while more research is needed, these results are promising and may lead to breakthroughs in cancer and vaccine research.
Interested in recommendations tailored to health care providers? Click here.