Vaccine opponents at Massachusetts hearing make false claims about COVID-19 vaccine safety

At a Massachusetts legislature hearing, vaccine opponents falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer, have led to over half a billion so-called “vaccine injuries” worldwide, and have caused 17 million deaths.

Risk level: Medium

Recommendation: Social media posts and articles about this hearing may discourage patients in Massachusetts from getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine. Doctors in Massachusetts may face questions about COVID-19 vaccine safety. Talking points may emphasize that there is strong evidence that COVID-19 vaccines have not caused mass death and do not cause cancer. COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested and have been determined to be safe, as adverse effects are extremely rare. The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older to protect against severe illness, hospitalization, death, and long COVID.