Resources

Resources to help you apply infodemiology

Explore resources from the global infodemiology community, including peer-reviewed articles, in-depth reports, media monitoring support, and messaging guides.

Resources

Articles, toolkits, and more

Online discussions about bird flu are recycling COVID-19 narratives

Online discussions about bird flu are recycling COVID-19 narratives

Reports of the H5N1 virus being detected in cow’s milk have kept the outbreak in the news and in social media conversations.

Foundational paper on infodemiology and infoveillance

Foundational paper on infodemiology and infoveillance

In this key paper, founder of infodemiology Dr. Gunther Eysenbach establishes a framework for the field.

Practical playbook for addressing health misinformation

A hands-on approach to help recognize and respond to health-related rumors and misinformation.

Media monitoring resources

Dashboards on this site are provided by Talkwalker, which offers its own resources.

Public Health Communications Collaborative

Public Health Communications Collaborative

Supports public health communicators to be timely, clear, credible, & effective messengers.

Measles in 2024: Online conversations spike as U.S. cases rise

Measles in 2024: Online conversations spike as U.S. cases rise

In November 2023, the CDC and WHO released a joint report about the rising threat of measles worldwide.

The Infodemiology Brief

Get insights direct to your inbox or check out the latest for health care providers here.

Summaries of trending health narratives, the latest peer-reviewed readings, new trainings, and more. The archived briefs below are tailored to health care providers. Public health professionals can subscribe to the public health edition by completing the sign-up form.

Most recent

Vaccine confidence dips as routine immunizations come under fire

The Infodemiology Brief

New data published in August underscores the real-world consequences of false and misleading narratives about vaccines, as public trust in routine immunizations dipped to historic lows. The mainstreaming of anti-vaccine rhetoric has given high-profile vaccine skeptics an even larger platform to attempt to discredit vaccines, new and old. False claims...

New and old childhood immunizations come under fire

The Infodemiology Brief

With a new school year and respiratory disease season rapidly approaching, vaccinations of all kinds are under attack online. Opposition to school vaccine requirements continues to grow as two presidential candidates recently promoted myths about routine vaccine safety. Adding to this false narrative are vaccine opponents who are using a...

Lawsuits and bad studies recycle COVID-19 vaccine myths

The Infodemiology Brief

Old myths rarely die in anti-vaccine conversations—they’re simply recycled. Two recent papers resurfaced discredited claims about COVID-19 vaccine safety, sparking days of contentious online discussions. Meanwhile, a second state official has launched a lawsuit against Pfizer, following the Texas attorney general’s anti-vaccine playbook. The lawsuit, like the...

False vaccine injury narratives flourish online

The Infodemiology Brief

Although vaccine skeptics and opponents are the most frequent purveyors of false claims about COVID-19 vaccines, sometimes more legitimate sources unwittingly help circulate misleading narratives. The amplification of alleged vaccine injuries by vaccine opponents creates an environment in which even good-faith attempts to discuss vaccine safety can add fuel to...

Cancer myths and anti-mRNA conspiracies abound online

The Infodemiology Brief

Bird flu has been in the headlines lately, so we’d like to point you to a helpful resource: Our new report describes how online discussions about H5N1 are recycling narratives about COVID-19. Take a read, and feel free to also check out our report on trending measles narratives, other...

False narrative that vaccines cause long COVID takes off

The Infodemiology Brief

Old false narratives have re-emerged in recent weeks as vaccine opponents raise objections to vaccines of all kinds. Some policymakers are using fears about emerging mRNA technology to score political points, while anti-vaccine advocates attempt to undermine the safety of childhood vaccines that have been in use for decades. Meanwhile,...

Global vaccine safety misused to fuel an anti-vaccine narrative

The Infodemiology Brief

Scientific research is an important part of better understanding the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and is vital to help shape public health. But in the wrong hands, even legitimate data can be distorted. In just the last few weeks, data supporting additional protection for high-risk populations, national vaccine...

Narratives falsely link COVID-19 vaccines to serious diseases

The Infodemiology Brief

As much of the world’s attention shifts from COVID-19 to other public health concerns, some trending narratives are attempting to link COVID-19 vaccines to unrelated public health news. In the last month, vaccine skeptics have falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccines cause everything from long COVID and AIDS to rising...

Florida surgeon general endorses anti-vaccine myths

The Infodemiology Brief

In the final weeks of 2023, some old but persistent myths about COVID-19 vaccines reemerged. Florida’s surgeon general, who has a history of promoting false claims, called for a ban on mRNA COVID-19 vaccines due to alleged cancer risks. Meanwhile, some popular social media accounts misrepresented news about disease...

False claims about COVID-19 vaccines and heart damage

The Infodemiology Brief

Concerns about COVID-19 vaccine safety continue to cause vaccine hesitancy, fueled by a constant stream of misleading and false claims from vaccine opponents, including some prominent political officials. These anti-vaccine narratives are not original: They’re old claims given new life when attached to misrepresented studies, misused data, and political...

How vaccine opponents misuse scientific research

The Infodemiology Brief

The safety of COVID-19 vaccines has been well-established over the last three years. But that hasn’t stopped vaccine opponents from seizing every opportunity to advance the narrative that the vaccines are harmful or even deadly....

Myth that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer takes hold

The Infodemiology Brief

Social media and the shift away from legacy news outlets have allowed vaccine opponents to promote false anti-vaccine information to audiences larger than previously imaginable. That is how false claims about cancer-causing DNA in COVID-19 vaccines can take hold in a span of months, while similar myths about other vaccines...

Wave of false info follows updated COVID-19 vaccine approval

The Infodemiology Brief

On September 12, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 13-1 to back updated Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for all adults and children over 6 months. The decision followed the FDA’s approval of the new vaccines on September 11. In response to the announcements about...

Anti-vaccine narratives have gone mainstream

The Infodemiology Brief

Welcome to the Health Care Infodemiology Brief, a brand-new newsletter for clinicians. We know your time is valuable and your inbox full, so why should you read this brief each month? Because the fast-paced flow of information in the digital age has made your job harder. And we can help....