Conversations spike about cardiac health and COVID-19
Other posts falsely claimed that unvaccinated people face lower COVID-19 risks than their vaccinated peers.
In the past week, two social media posts falsely suggested that COVID-19 vaccines cause death. In response, comments spread false claims about vaccines and mRNA technology.
Insights brought to you by the reporters and science writers of Public Good News (PGN), a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to improving community health.
On October 16, an X post from a Netherlands-based account shared a graph originally published in an April 2024 blog post showing that sudden cardiac deaths in people ages 54 and younger have dramatically increased since 2020, which the post’s author falsely attributed to COVID-19 vaccines. The post received approximately 302,800 views, 12,000 likes, 5,900 reposts, and 330 comments as of October 23. Most comments agreed with the post’s claim and suggested that governments and the media are ignoring the alleged health risks of COVID-19 vaccines.
On October 18, an X post from a Switzerland-based account shared a video of a Japanese professor speaking on a panel. According to the post, the professor warned that people who have received two doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine have a mortality rate five times higher than unvaccinated individuals, referencing an article that has since been retracted to suggest that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines cause death. The post received approximately 469,100 views, 6,700 likes, 4,700 reposts, and 160 comments as of October 23. Many people who commented on the post stated that they have not received any mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and believe that they are healthier and are less likely to develop a severe COVID-19 infection than vaccinated individuals.
Recommendations brought to you by the health communication experts behind Infodemiology.com.
Health messaging recommendations
Each week, the Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. These helpful tips can be used when creating content, updating web and FAQ pages, and developing strategy for messaging about health.
In light of ongoing false claims that COVID-19 vaccines cause death, health care providers and public health communicators may emphasize that COVID-19 infections—not vaccines—have contributed to the rise in sudden cardiac deaths, as COVID-19 infections can cause heart inflammation and blood clots. Messaging may emphasize that COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested and monitored and have been determined to be safe. Staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations reduces the risk of COVID-19-related heart inflammation, as well as severe illness, hospitalization, death, and long-term health complications.