South Carolina measles outbreak fuels online vaccine debate
In other conversations, posts linked rising flu cases to low vaccine uptake and resurfaced myths about provider vaccine incentives.
In other conversations, posts linked rising flu cases to low vaccine uptake and resurfaced myths about provider vaccine incentives.
The growing measles outbreak in South Carolina sparked discussion online about vaccine effectiveness and “natural immunity.” Other popular online vaccine conversations circulated the false claim that doctors are bribed to administer vaccines and debated the importance of annual flu vaccination during the current severe flu season.
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:
South Carolina’s measles outbreak expanded as health officials confirmed 88 new measles cases between January 16 and January 19. The cases bring the state’s outbreak total to 646, putting it on track to surpass last year’s West Texas measles outbreak as the largest in several decades. Experts urged residents to get vaccinated to prevent infection and contain the outbreak. Online, commenters criticized parents who refuse to vaccinate their children, with some posts advocating for the end of nonmedical exemptions for school vaccinations. Some social media users promoted natural immunity through infection over immunity gained through vaccination, inaccurately claiming that the latter is “artificial” and inferior. A few posts also touted unproven remedies, such as vitamin A, to prevent or treat measles.
False claims that health care providers are bribed or “paid off” to vaccinate patients have resurfaced online in recent weeks. Following reports that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will no longer require states to report childhood vaccination rates among covered individuals, some vaccine opponents claimed without evidence that the government pays physicians based on the number of children they vaccinate. A prominent anti-vaccine physician alleged that she could have made $35 million from administering COVID-19 vaccines. Some posts expressed distrust in providers, while others questioned the lack of evidence to support the claims.
In the first weeks of 2026, the severity of the current flu season was a frequent topic of online conversations. Following reports of unvaccinated children and teens hospitalized or dying from the flu, some social media users emphasized the importance of annual flu vaccination, even in years when the flu shot is not the best match for the dominant strain. Some vaccine opponents claimed that the news coverage is pro-vaccine propaganda, while others repeated the myth that flu vaccination weakens the immune system and makes people more susceptible to flu infection.
Read the fact checks:
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: What to Know About Measles and Vaccines
- PBS News: Fact-checking RFK Jr.'s claim that pediatricians recommend vaccines for money
- Public Good News: Don’t let these myths stop you from getting your flu shot
Recommendations brought to you by the health communication experts behind Infodemiology.com.
Recommendations for public health professionals
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 developing strategy for messaging about vaccines.
Misleading claims that downplay the severity of measles or the safety and effectiveness of the MMR vaccine may result in vaccine hesitancy or refusal during active outbreaks. Communicators may wish to address concerns by emphasizing that the MMR vaccine is safe and highly effective, provides lifelong protection, and has protected millions of children for decades. Other talking points may stress that measles has the unique ability to damage a child’s immune system for months or years after infection and that vaccination is the only safe way to prevent measles. Messaging may also highlight the risks of an infection, including severe complications like pneumonia or brain damage and death.
Anti-vaccine claims that doctors receive bribes to vaccinate may damage patient trust in their health care providers and vaccines. Debunking messaging may explain that providers do not receive payments from pharmaceutical companies to provide vaccines and that some insurers offer financial incentives to doctors to improve patient health outcomes by encouraging health-promoting behaviors such as vaccination, healthy diet, and routine medical screenings. Communicators may emphasize that doctors, health insurers, and health experts all recognize that vaccines help keep children safe and reduce outbreaks.
Misconceptions about flu vaccine effectiveness and safety may discourage vaccination during the ongoing severe flu season. Communicators may highlight that major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association, recommend flu vaccination each year to reduce the risk of infection, severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Emphasizing that the flu vaccine works with your immune system by training it to fight infection is recommended, as is explaining that low vaccination rates in the U.S. contributed to a record number of child flu deaths during the 2024-2025 flu season.