Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine’s restricted approval draws ire

This week, online users debated the safety of aluminum in vaccines and medical groups suing HHS over updated COVID-19 vaccine policies.

False narratives about pediatric vaccines and vaccine ingredients dominated online vaccine conversations this week. Fueled by federal vaccine policies that experts have heavily criticized, vaccine opponents questioned the necessity and safety of COVID-19 vaccines for children and pregnant people. Meanwhile, long-debunked anti-vaccine myths about aluminum in vaccines are gaining traction online, despite a new study showing no link between the ingredient and childhood health conditions like autism and asthma.

---

What’s trending in vaccine conversation:

On July 10, Moderna’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine received full FDA approval for children 6 months to 11 years old who are at high risk of severe illness. The limited approval, which is in line with recently updated FDA guidelines, incited a wave of posts from online anti-vaccine figures, who continue to falsely claim that the vaccine is harmful to children. Many social media posts and much of the media coverage misleadingly suggest that the vaccine was approved for all children. Several posts stated that this is not “what they voted for,” arguing that federal health officials are being paid off by pharmaceutical companies. English and Spanish-language posts expressed outrage at the perceived betrayal and urged parents to refuse the vaccines.

Following HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s reported plan to “review” all vaccines containing the ingredient, myths about aluminum in vaccines continue to circulate online. In one popular post, an anti-vaccine advocacy group suggested that there are “hidden documents” proving that aluminum in vaccines is harmful. The post was shared nearly 10,000 times and garnered over 2,700 comments, including many specifically claiming the DTAP vaccine is dangerous. Commenters shared anecdotes about vaccines allegedly harming children and urged parents to follow an “alternative” vaccination schedule. Some users repeated the myth that aluminum is linked to autism and recommended “detoxing” after vaccination, while others rejected vaccines altogether, claiming aluminum is “hidden” in all vaccines.

The July 7 news that six medical organizations are suing HHS over updated federal COVID-19 vaccine policies that they call an “assault on science, public health and evidence-based medicine,” sparked considerable news coverage and social media discourse. Spokespeople for the organizations argued that the changes to vaccine policy may jeopardize vaccine access and damage trust in vaccines. Some comments demanded that Kennedy be removed from office. Vaccine opponents called for COVID-19 vaccines to be banned for children and pregnant people and for federal health agencies to be disbanded because of the alleged harms of the vaccines. Several posts suggested that rescinding vaccine recommendations will not impact access, while others speculated that the policy changes are laying the groundwork for additional restrictions on new and existing vaccines.

Read the fact checks: 

• HealthyChildren.org: When Can Kids Get the Updated COVID Vaccine?
• Factcheck.org: Posts Raise Unfounded Concerns About Aluminum in Vaccines 
• AAP: Removal of COVID vaccines from immunization schedules for healthy children, pregnant people disregards process, increases risk

---

---

Talking points for health care providers to use in response to trending narratives

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.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and protect children from severe illness and long COVID.

• Over four years of research and safety testing show that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for children. Hundreds of millions of children worldwide have gotten vaccinated with no signs of widespread health concerns.    
• COVID-19 doesn’t affect everyone the same way, and there’s no way of knowing if your child will become severely ill or develop lasting health issues from an infection until it’s too late.
• Vaccination protects children and teens against the worst of COVID-19, including severe illness, hospitalization, and complications. Unvaccinated children are 20 times more likely than vaccinated children to develop long COVID.
• Your health care provider is the best source for vaccine-related questions. Sites like HealthyChildren.org, the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and CIDRAP also provide accurate information about vaccines.

The aluminum in vaccines is safe and has been used to boost vaccine effectiveness for decades.

• Vaccines contain many ingredients that make them safer and more effective. Adjuvants boost your body’s immune response to the vaccine, increasing protection and reducing the vaccine dose needed to gain immunity.
• Aluminum has been used to enhance vaccine effectiveness for decades, with research consistently demonstrating that the ingredient is safe. 
• While the substance can be toxic in very high doses, small amounts of aluminum are harmless and occur naturally in soil, water, and food. Humans get far more aluminum through their daily diet—including vegetables, bread, and tea—than from vaccines. 
• A recent study that followed over a million children for 24 years found that aluminum-containing vaccines are not linked to any childhood disorders, including autism, asthma, allergies, and ADHD.

The science is clear: Vaccines are safe and protect us from preventable diseases.

• Until recently, federal vaccine guidelines were developed by a panel of experts and based on scientific evidence. 
• Decades of scientific evidence overwhelmingly show that vaccines are safe and save lives.
• The safety of COVID-19 vaccines has been studied in millions of people over the past five years, with all evidence showing that the vaccines are safe and serious side effects are extremely rare.

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