COVID-19 vaccines face federal government scrutiny

Regionally, there were discussions about vaccine requirements for health workers and parental consent for vaccines.

This week, a congressional committee released a pandemic report with unconfirmed conclusions about COVID-19’s origins, and members of the incoming Trump administration promoted debunked vaccine myths. Meanwhile, a federal judge ordered the FDA to release documents related to the authorization of COVID-19 vaccines—in addition to the 1.2 million pages already released. 

Regional vaccine conversations focused on a school health clinic, a rabies death, and vaccine mandates for health care students and workers.

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What’s trending nationally in vaccine conversation:

On December 2, the Republican-led congressional Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic concluded its two-year investigation of the COVID-19 pandemic with the release of a 520-page report. Among its findings is the conclusion that the COVID-19 pandemic was the result of a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Notably, the report does not include any new evidence to support this claim, which critics were quick to point out. The report also lauded actions taken during the Trump administration, including travel restrictions early in the pandemic and Operation Warp Speed, which the report describes as “an incredible feat of science” and “tremendous success.” However, the report harshly criticized the promotion of COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine mandates, and other pandemic mitigations under the Biden administration as not being based on scientific evidence. A committee member who previously promoted conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines and the pandemic’s origin expressed outrage that the committee did not investigate the vaccines. Social media users are circulating the “bombshell” report, claiming that it “confirms the conspiracy theories.”

In a December 8 Meet the Press interview, Trump stated that he would eliminate vaccines if they were found to be dangerous for children. He insinuated that vaccines may be linked to rising autism rates and that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will investigate “what’s going on with disease and sickness.” When the interviewer correctly noted that decades of research have definitively disproved any link between childhood vaccines and autism, Trump only insisted that he is “open to” further investigation. Online responses to the interview argue that vaccines are not properly tested, that the risks of vaccination outweigh the benefits, and that doctors promote vaccines for profit. Several popular posts express support for Kennedy’s debunked beliefs. 

In a December 6 ruling, a federal judge directed the FDA to disclose more documents related to the agency’s emergency authorization of COVID-19 vaccines. The ruling is part of a lawsuit filed in 2021 that made headlines when the FDA argued it would take decades to process and release the requested documents. According to the lawsuit, the agency has already released over 1.2 million pages of COVID-19 vaccine records. Many vaccine opponents are celebrating the court’s decision, claiming without evidence that the documents were allegedly “hidden” because they reveal evidence of COVID-19 vaccine injuries. A senator who has frequently promoted false and misleading claims about COVID-19 and mRNA vaccines accused the FDA of “fighting transparency.”

Read the fact checks: 

• FactCheck.org: Still No Determination on COVID-19 Origin
• FactCheck.org: What RFK Jr. Gets Wrong About Autism
• University of California: The COVID vaccine came out super quickly. Here’s why it’s safe.

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What’s happening in the Northeast:

Several social media users, including an account known for inciting harassment, are targeting Gardiner High School in Maine for attempting to open a school-based health center that would provide primary care services, including vaccines. Some parents complained that the clinic would allow minors to access certain health care services, such as mental health and sexual health care, without parental consent. Notably, minors in Maine cannot receive vaccination without the consent of a parent or guardian. The most popular post has over 16,000 engagements as of December 11. Some posts encourage parents to homeschool their children and claim that the clinic is a “nefarious” way to vaccinate more children.

What’s happening in the South:

A Florida-based user claimed in a viral social media post that her daughter’s nursing school is “forcing” her to get a flu vaccine for enrollment. The post states that the school offers exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines but not for flu vaccines. The mother expressed fear of adverse effects from the vaccine and falsely claimed that the flu shot uses mRNA technology. The post drew over 11,000 comments, with many expressing outrage at the school’s policy and encouraging the user to pull her daughter from the school and pursue legal action. Other commenters noted that vaccination requirements are standard practice for health care students and workers.

What’s happening in the Midwest:

The Kansas Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit from a nursing student at Flint Hills Technical College, who argued that the school’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate violated her religious freedoms. The case has been sent back to the district court. Social media reactions were mostly critical of the decision, with many commenters arguing that health workers should be held to higher vaccination standards to protect patients. Some posts suggested that anti-vaccine health care providers should be removed from the profession and called for an outright ban on religious exemptions for vaccines.

What’s happening in the West:

A California teacher who died from rabies after a bat bite has been a topic of discussion across social media platforms. Some commenters shared their experience getting a rabies vaccine after a bite from a potentially infected animal, while others encouraged anyone who is bitten by an animal to seek treatment immediately. Some people expressed frustration at how difficult it is to access the rabies vaccine.

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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.

Debunking messaging related to the latest Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic report may emphasize that the report does not actually include any new or direct evidence to support its conclusion that the COVID-19 pandemic was caused by a lab leak. Continuing to highlight the evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are safe is recommended. 

The proposed “investigation” into childhood vaccine safety may lead to restrictions on vaccine access and cause lasting damage to the public’s perception and acceptance of vaccines. Debunking messaging may explain that researchers have studied a potential link between vaccines and autism for decades and have never found evidence of any connection. The study that originally claimed that vaccines cause autism was retracted after it was found to involve unethical research practices. No subsequent studies have found a causal link between any vaccine and autism. 

Clinical trial documents are frequently misrepresented and misinterpreted to advance false narratives about COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness. Debunking messaging may explain that COVID-19 vaccines were subject to rigorous animal testing and clinical trials in humans that were among the largest trials in history. Messaging may also emphasize that the vaccines were developed and approved quickly due to existing in-depth knowledge of other coronaviruses, decades of mRNA research, and an accelerated development process with unprecedented international collaboration and funding.

Interested in recommendations tailored to health care providers? Click here.