Video title stokes fears of another pandemic and receives millions of views

Another video falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility.

A YouTube video title suggested that lockdowns might be imminent due to the spread of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), and an X post shared a video of a scientist making false claims about COVID-19 vaccine safety.

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On January 15, an India-based YouTube account with approximately 27 million subscribers shared a video stating that many people have been hospitalized in China with HMPV, a respiratory virus that was discovered in 2001. While the narrator told viewers to remain calm and take precautions by washing their hands, masking, and avoiding crowded spaces, the video’s title, “Reality of HMPV Virus in China: Will there be Lockdown Again,” could potentially fuel anxiety that another pandemic is approaching. The video—which is primarily spreading in Germany—received more than 7.5 million views and approximately 404,000 likes as of January 30. Comments praised the video’s creator and thanked him for sharing information that mainstream media is allegedly ignoring.

On December 26, an X post shared a video of a former Pfizer vice president and scientist from the U.K. falsely claiming that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines “were designed—intentionally—to harm, maim and kill, and to reduce human fertility.” However, the scientist had not worked at Pfizer since 2011 and was never involved in the creation of COVID-19 vaccines. The post received approximately 1.3 million views, 33,000 likes, 15,000 reposts, and 450 comments as of January 30. While some comments attempted to debunk the video’s claims, others called COVID-19 vaccines “poison” and “bioweapons,” and several comments repeated the video’s false claim that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility.

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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.

Trending conversations about HMPV provide an opportunity to explain how the virus spreads and how to protect against it. Messaging may explain that HMPV is a respiratory virus that may cause coughing, a fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath. Some infections may progress to bronchitis or pneumonia. HMPV spreads when people inhale respiratory droplets from infected people, have close contact with infected people, or touch contaminated surfaces and then touch their mouth or nose. While there is not currently a vaccine that prevents HMPV, regularly washing hands, wearing a mask around others, and avoiding close contact with sick people can help protect against the virus. Cases of HMPV typically rise in the colder months, and the recent HMPV surge in China follows a normal seasonal pattern.

In response to persistent concerns about COVID-19 vaccine safety, health care providers and public health communicators may reiterate that COVID-19 vaccines have been determined to be safe through clinical years and years of monitoring. Severe COVID-19 vaccine side effects are extremely rare, and there is no evidence linking COVID-19 vaccines to infertility. Health care professionals recommend COVID-19 vaccines for everyone, including people who want to have children.