Viral flu post receives overwhelmingly positive response

This week, health officials repeated false and misleading claims about vaccines, while a viral post promoted flu vaccines.

An unprecedented reversal of state vaccine policy and a Senate hearing that resurfaced a host of anti-vaccine myths dominated online vaccine conversations this week. Florida’s plan to end all vaccine requirements set off a wave of debate about childhood vaccines and parental freedom. The announcement came as the health secretary faced questioning about his anti-vaccine views, prompting calls for his resignation and a surge of conversation online. Meanwhile, a social media post advocating for flu vaccination and herd immunity received a massive and overwhelmingly positive response.

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What’s trending in vaccine conversation:

On September 3, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the state’s surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, announced plans to eliminate all vaccine requirements in the state, including those required for school enrollment. The move would make Florida the only state not to require routine immunizations to enroll in K-12 school. Ladapo vowed that his health department would overturn state vaccine requirements through legislative action. Public health experts criticized the announcement, warning that a reversal of vaccine policy will lead to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Responses to the news were mixed, with critics fearing that the decision would undermine public health progress and supporters hailing the move a victory for “medical freedom.”

On September 4, Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. was questioned before the U.S. Senate about vaccines and health. During the hearing, he and other officials repeated several false and misleading claims about vaccines, including that children receive “too many” vaccines and that no one knows how many Americans died from COVID-19. Several clips and quotes trended online, particularly the claim that “anyone can get” a 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine, despite the FDA only approving the vaccines for those over 65 and younger people with underlying health conditions. Experts online stressed that federal vaccine guidance would force younger people with no underlying conditions to get a prescription and pay out of pocket for the vaccine. After the hearing, some public figures and social media users called for Kennedy’s resignation, while others defended him for “exposing the truth.”

A September social media post urging people to get the flu shot received overwhelmingly positive feedback, including nearly 6,000 comments. The post was shared more than 30,000 times in under 48 hours. The text of the post, which stresses that the flu vaccine is not just for the person getting it, is credited to a nurse. Responses to the posts asserted that they planned to get the vaccine for themselves and their loved ones, that they would get vaccinated for the vulnerable people in their lives, and that they would rather be safe than sorry. Many people shared stories about their experience with the flu and emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated every year.

Read the fact checks: 

• CNN: Florida’s surgeon general said he didn’t calculate the costs of ending vaccine mandates in the state. But scientists have.
• Politifact: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said ‘everybody can get’ the COVID-19 vaccine. Is that true?
• KFF Health News: It’s Almost Flu Season. Should You Still Get a Shot, and Will Insurance Cover It?

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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.

Schools require vaccinations because they keep children safe and in school.

• Vaccines empower parents to protect their children from deadly and debilitating diseases, allowing them to stay in school—not sick at home or in the hospital.
• Vaccination doesn’t just protect the person being vaccinated—it protects everyone around them. Outbreaks happen when not enough people are vaccinated. 
• Infants and children who are too young to be fully vaccinated, people with weakened immune systems, and a small percentage of people who don’t respond to vaccines are all vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Many routine childhood vaccines have protected children for multiple generations, saving over one million lives in the U.S. in the last three decades alone.

Doctors recommend COVID-19 vaccines because they reduce your risk of getting seriously ill and developing complications.

• The FDA has recently narrowed access to  2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines. The current FDA approval only covers people 65 and older and younger people with underlying conditions.
• However, people outside of these groups may still be able to get the vaccine with their doctor’s approval. Additionally, many states are working to make the vaccines available and covered by insurance for those who want it. 
• The American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology all continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for adults, children aged 6 months and older, and pregnant people.
• Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to learn more about getting the vaccine for yourself and your loved ones.

Flu vaccines protect everyone—including the most vulnerable.

• Getting vaccinated against the flu reduces your risk of catching and spreading it. If you do get sick, the vaccine protects you from getting seriously ill or developing complications like pneumonia.
• No one is immune from a severe flu infection. Older adults, infants and young children, and people who have respiratory conditions, weakened immune systems, or who are pregnant are at highest risk from the flu.
• Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine to protect themselves and everyone around them.
  
  Interested in recommendations tailored to public health professionals? Click here.