Florida surgeon general questions COVID-19 vaccine safety
In the last two weeks, a pseudo-medical organization called for a global ban on mRNA vaccines, and edited video clips cast doubt on COVID-19 mitigation measures. Regional discussions centered on whooping cough and COVID-19 vaccine safety.
In the last two weeks, a pseudo-medical organization called for a global ban on mRNA vaccines, and edited video clips cast doubt on COVID-19 mitigation measures. Regional discussions centered on whooping cough and COVID-19 vaccine safety.
Over the last two weeks, several high-ranking officials—and an official-sounding organization—promoted misleading claims about mRNA COVID-19 vaccine safety. Florida’s surgeon general again used sources known for promoting falsehoods and conspiracy theories to falsely claim that COVID-19 vaccines are insufficiently tested and unsafe. In late November, a pseudo-medical organization published a letter to European heads of state calling for an “immediate suspension” of all mRNA vaccines worldwide. Meanwhile, an edited viral video claims that COVID-19 mitigations were “made up.”
Regionally, whooping cough outbreaks and immunization, alleged vaccine-related deaths, and parents’ rights to refuse vaccines dominated conversations.
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 nationally in vaccine conversation:
On November 27, Florida’s surgeon general shared an article on social media from a far right-wing website claiming that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have “deadly side effects.” The article, which was originally published on a site with a history of promoting false claims and conspiracy theories, misrepresents a Pfizer adverse reactions report, cites unverified Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System data, and quotes a controversial writer best known for anti-vaccine conspiracies. The surgeon general calls the CDC “unethical” for continuing to recommend COVID-19 vaccines. Some responses to the post question the credibility of the article and its source, while others thank the surgeon general for speaking out against COVID-19 vaccines.
On November 26, the pseudo-medical organization World Council for Health reported that it had joined several European countries to call for the “immediate suspension” of mRNA vaccines in a letter to the countries’ heads of state. The letter is signed by a total of eight politicians from Finland, Lithuania, Greenland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Australia. None of the signatories are high-ranking elected officials. Several U.S. vaccine opponents shared the letter. A post with over 130,000 engagements as of December 3 claims that WCH is backed by thousands of “physicians and scientists” who believe COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous. The official-sounding World Council for Health may be mistaken for more credible sources like WHO and the Global Health Council.
A right-wing activist who has produced deceptively edited videos in the past released a heavily edited clip of a purported NIH employee allegedly saying that COVID-19 health initiatives were “made up” and that “we’re all going to learn [about vaccine safety] when it’s too late.” The unedited footage has not been released, so the context of the quotes is unclear. Posts sharing the clip claim that it proves that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe and call for an investigation of alleged corruption.
Read the fact checks:
- PolitiFact: Florida health officials warn against vaccine boosters. Scientists call it political scaremongering.
- Scientific American: The Science Behind COVID’s Six-Foot Rule
- Infectious Diseases Society of America: mRNA Vaccines: What to Know
What’s happening in the Northeast:
In 2021, a child in Vermont was mistakenly given a COVID-19 vaccine dose against his parents’ wishes after he was given an incorrect name tag at a school vaccination clinic. In June 2024, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that the parents could not sue school officials for the mistake because they were protected under the 2005 Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act. The PREP Act provides legal immunity to entities involved in countermeasures (e.g., vaccination campaigns) during public health emergencies (e.g., a pandemic), except for instances of willful misconduct, of which there is no evidence in this case. The decision prompted misleading claims on social media that schools can forcibly vaccinate children without their parent’s consent. The claims resurfaced last week when a right-wing news site published an article about the family’s plan to appeal the court’s decision.
What’s happening in the South:
In a recent podcast interview, a man who describes himself as “the real CDC” alleged without evidence that deaths related to COVID-19 vaccines were misattributed to COVID-19 on death certificates and accused the CDC of deliberately altering data to downplay vaccine risks. He discussed his efforts to access Florida’s state immunization databases to investigate potential links between vaccination and deaths but faced resistance from health officials, including the state’s surgeon general. The interview was critical of an alleged lack of transparency in the public health system. Clips from the podcast have been shared on multiple social media and right-wing platforms, with the baseless claim that COVID-19 vaccination is associated with a “shocking” increase in kidney failure in Florida.
What’s happening in the Midwest:
The rise in whooping cough cases in Michigan and Wisconsin is driving significant online discussion across the Midwest. Michigan has seen a tenfold increase in cases compared to 2020-2023 due to declining vaccination rates and the end of pandemic precautions. As of November 22, Wisconsin has confirmed 1,887 cases, more than three times the last peak in 2019. Public health officials in both states urge residents to prioritize vaccination. On social media, some residents expressed frustration with the anti-vaccine movement and argued that distrust of federal health agencies is unjustified. Other social media users falsely claimed that pertussis vaccination is unnecessary and asserted that the infection can be easily treated with antibiotics, which they argue is preferable to vaccination.
What’s happening in the West:
A segment on a Portland news affiliate discussed rising whooping cough rates and declining immunization in Oregon and Washington. Responses to the report included explanations for why some people are now vaccine-hesitant. Some commenters said that COVID-19 vaccines have eroded trust in other vaccines, while others argued that the alleged risks of the vaccine outweigh the benefits. One post stated that while some vaccines are essential, others are just “fear-mongering” for money. Alternatively, one commenter said that after watching videos about the side effects of both whooping cough and the pertussis vaccine, she felt she was able to make an informed choice and chose the vaccine.
Recommendations brought to you by the health communication experts behind Infodemiology.com.
Recommendations for public health professionals
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 pages and FAQs, and to inform strategy for messaging about vaccines.
A high-ranking health official promoting misleading or false claims about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines may increase hesitancy among the general public. Messaging may explain that VAERS data are self-reported, unverified, and cannot be used as evidence that a vaccine caused a specific adverse event. Talking points may also emphasize that over four years of research and rigorous monitoring have shown COVID-19 vaccines to be safe and serious adverse reactions to be extremely rare. More than 70 percent of the world’s population—over 5.5 billion people—have safely received COVID-19 vaccines.
Calls to ban mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been circulating among vaccine opponents for years, typically supported by false claims about the vaccines’ safety. Prebunking messaging may highlight that the World Council for Health was established in 2021 to promote false narratives about COVID-19 and vaccines. It is not a legitimate medical or health organization, and it is closely affiliated with explicitly anti-vaccine organizations. Debunking messaging may emphasize that contrary to what is implied in posts sharing the letter, no countries have endorsed the call to suspend mRNA vaccines. A handful of politicians, none of them particularly high ranking, from six countries signed a letter from an anti-vaccine organization with no authority or expertise in global health.
Prebunking messaging may emphasize that the activist who released the edited clip claiming that pandemic measures were “made up” has a long history of releasing heavily edited and misleading video clips as part of a “coordinated disinformation campaign,” according to independent researchers who have analyzed the content. Talking points may explain that COVID-19 mitigation measures like social distancing and masking, many of which were implemented in countries around the world, were based on the best scientific evidence available at the time. After more than four years, all evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines are safe.
Interested in recommendations tailored to health care providers? Click here.