The Infodemiology Brief —

Vaccine safety myths circulate as measles and rotavirus cases rise

Plus, online conversations underscore the impact of growing vaccine skepticism on other health decisions.

In the last month, rising cases of vaccine-preventable diseases spurred debate online about vaccine effectiveness and safety. The health secretary was questioned by Congress about measles outbreaks, and his responses fueled false and misleading claims about measles and the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. Meanwhile, as rotavirus infections surge, social media users debated the importance and safety of the vaccine. Finally, posts discussed parents increasingly opting out of vitamin K injections to prevent a rare bleeding condition in newborns.

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Trending narratives from the past month

Misleading claims about preventing measles persist as outbreaks grow
At an April 17congressional hearing, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested that the U.S. has done a better job of containing measles outbreaks than other countries. In response, social media users debated why measles outbreaks occur and how to prevent them. Critics noted that last year the U.S. reported the highest number of measles infections since 1992 and is on track to surpass that number in 2026. Some vaccine opponents supported Kennedy, claiming without evidence that immigrants are to blame for the outbreaks. Others falsely claimed that breastfeeding is an effective alternative to the MMR vaccine. Read the fact checks here and here.

Posts highlight how vaccine hesitancy extends to newborn vitamin K injections
Social media users are discussing how distrust in vaccines is influencing other health choices, including how more new parents are opting out of vitamin K injections to prevent fatal bleeding in newborns. The injections are not vaccines, but some vaccine opponents falsely claim that they are unsafe and unnecessary. Several posts objected to all injections for babies, advocating instead for less effective oral vitamin K drops, which are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This discussion comes as a recent poll revealed that more U.S. adults expressed skepticism about vaccines than those who were confident about them. Read the fact checks here and here.

Surging rotavirus cases spur calls for vaccination as trust in vaccines declines
Rotavirus, an infection that causes vomiting and diarrhea, is on the rise in the U.S., concerning health care providers and prompting online conversations about prevention. Health experts explained that the increase in rotavirus circulation is linked to a drop in vaccination rates in the last eight years and that unvaccinated infants and young children are at higher risk. Social media users promoted hygiene practices to reduce the spread of rotavirus and encouraged parents to vaccinate. However, some expressed doubt about the disease’s severity and the vaccine's safety. The CDC stopped recommending rotavirus vaccination for all children earlier this year, despite no new safety concerns. Read the fact checks here and here.

What you might say in response

Measles vaccination keeps children safe and helps prevent outbreaks.

  • Measles outbreaks happen when vaccination rates are too low to prevent the virus from spreading. Infants who are too young to be vaccinated are at high-risk during an outbreak, as they’re more likely to become very sick.
  • A measles infection can cause pneumonia, lasting damage to a child’s immune system, and death.
  • There is no evidence linking immigrants to the current measles outbreaks in the U.S.
  • Breast milk is not an alternative to the MMR vaccine. Although some antibodies from a measles infection pass through breast milk, they are not sufficient to provide immunity. 
  • The MMR vaccine provides lifelong protection and is the only safe way to protect against measles.

Vitamin K shots are very safe and help prevent deadly bleeding in newborns

  • Pediatricians recommend that all infants receive a single, low-dose injection of vitamin K at birth to protect against vitamin K deficiency bleeding.
  • There are decades of evidence showing the safety of vitamin K injections and the risks of opting out of the treatment.
  • Vitamin K injections have been safely given to millions of newborns since 1961.

The rotavirus vaccine reduces your child’s risk of severe illness and hospitalization by over 90 percent.

  • Rotavirus is a highly contagious virus that spreads through contact with food or surfaces contaminated with feces. The virus poses the greatest risk to unvaccinated infants and young children, who are vulnerable to severe illness, dehydration, and hospitalization.
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all infants receive the oral rotavirus vaccine series beginning at two months.  
  • The rotavirus vaccine is very safe and prevents 70 percent of infections, 90 percent of severe illnesses, and 95 percent of hospitalizations. 
  • The vaccine contains a weakened virus that is harmless to healthy individuals, but may pose a small infection risk to people with weakened immune systems who come in contact with the feces of a vaccinated person within 14 days of vaccination.

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