HHS secretary hearings fuel vaccine safety conversation

This week, speculation circulated about AI-driven mRNA vaccines. Meanwhile, a dubious paper linking vaccines to autism dominated national vaccine conversations and regional posts, which also discussed local tuberculosis, rabies, and measles outbreaks.

The Senate confirmation hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services resurfaced debunked myths and misleading claims about childhood immunizations and mRNA vaccines. While a senator attempted to counter the increase in false claims about vaccines, a non-credible paper backed by people who have historically furthered false claims about vaccines promoted a false link between childhood vaccines and developmental disorders. Meanwhile, speculation about using AI to produce mRNA vaccines generated a contentious debate about mRNA vaccine safety. Regional vaccine conversations focused on local cases of measles, rabies, and tuberculosis. 

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What’s trending nationally in vaccine conversation:

A January 23 paper published on a WordPress blog masquerading as a scientific journal claims to have found a link between childhood immunizations and developmental and neurological disorders. The “study,” which uses Florida Medicaid billing—not diagnostic—data, was funded by an organization known for promoting false claims about vaccines and did not undergo independent peer review. Instead, it was “reviewed” by a physician known for promoting false claims about vaccines who sells hoax vaccine detox products. Social media users are circulating the paper, suggesting that it proves the physician is right and falsely claiming that it was peer-reviewed. Several posts, including from pediatric cardiologists and an immunologist, highlighted the paper’s complete lack of credibility and many large-scale peer-reviewed studies confirming that there is no link between vaccines and autism or any developmental disorder. Some speculated that the paper’s publication was timed to legitimize a popular anti-vaccine myth days before Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s HHS secretary confirmation hearing.

On January 22, a U.S. senator hosted a vaccine and public health roundtable with a panel of experts, including a pediatrician with expertise in infectious disease and vaccines, a neonatal intensive care nurse, an epidemiologist, and a professor of public health. The panelists discussed vaccine safety, the importance of immunizations to global health, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation. Some social media users shared clips from the roundtable, celebrating the conversation and emphasizing the importance of promoting accurate information about vaccines in the lead-up to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s senate confirmation hearings. Vaccine opponents responded to the panel with false claims about vaccine safety and the childhood immunization schedule.

After President Donald Trump announced plans to invest $500 billion in AI infrastructure, a tech CEO suggested that the technology could be used to develop personalized mRNA vaccines against cancers within 48 hours. The claim met harsh criticism online from social media users who felt the statement underestimates the complexities behind the immune system and vaccine development. Other commenters rejected the idea that all mRNA vaccines are unsafe and expressed support for a general mRNA technology, while others claimed mRNA vaccines will lead to a “mass extinction event.” Several posts repeated the conspiracy theory that mRNA cancer vaccines are designed to fight cancer caused by COVID-19 vaccines.

Read the fact checks: 

• Unbiased Science: Anatomy of a Failure: Why This Latest Vaccine-Autism Paper is Dead Wrong 
• New York Times: The Vaccine Schedule is Under Fire. What’s the Evidence For It?
• Infectious Diseases Society of America: mRNA Vaccines: What to Know 

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What’s happening in the Northeast:

Pennsylvania wildlife officials confirmed on January 23 that a black bear that attacked a man in Carbon County had rabies. The news prompted a conversation about rabies and the rabies vaccine. One social media thread with over 600 responses discussed the process of getting a rabies vaccine and how to access post-exposure prophylaxis after an animal bite. Some commenters shared their experiences with getting a rabies shot after contact with a potentially infected animal, while others detailed how difficult and costly the process was. Several posts encouraged people to advocate for themselves in health care settings if they believe they need the vaccine.

What’s happening in the South:

A paper published on a blog falsely claims to have found an association between vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders. The paper received widespread national attention and sparked local online conversations in Florida because it relied on the state’s Medicaid data. Several posts pointed out the less than reputable reputation of the paper’s funders and reviewers, who are well-known anti-vaccine advocates. Although some posts claimed the paper was a “bombshell” that proves anti-vaccine claims, others emphasized that the paper was not peer reviewed or published in a scientific journal.

What’s happening in the Midwest:

Kansas is facing the largest tuberculosis outbreak in its history, with 67 active cases and 79 latent infections, mostly in the Kansas City metro area. The outbreak represents a doubling of TB cases in the state between 2023 and 2024. Although local and federal health officials are responding to the outbreak, they emphasize that the risk to the general public is low. Some social media users appear to mistakenly believe that TB had previously been eliminated in the U.S. and is now reemerging. Others repeated the false claim that the outbreak is the largest in U.S. history. Several posts attributed the surge in cases to weakened immune systems and vaccine hesitancy, while others doubted the TB vaccine’s effectiveness and blamed the outbreak on “untested illegal immigrants.” 

What’s happening in the West:

The Snohomish County Health Department in Washington state confirmed two measles cases after an infected adult traveled through the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on January 10. The health department warned that people traveling through the airport that day may have been exposed to the virus. While some social media users highlighted the dangers of a measles infection in those who are unvaccinated, others dismissed the reporting as fearmongering, blamed immigrants, and questioned the safety of the ingredients in the MMR 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.

A recent paper falsely claimed that childhood vaccines are linked to developmental disorders. Debunking messaging may explain that the paper, which was published on a blog, is not a legitimate study; wasn’t peer-reviewed; was funded, written, and “reviewed” by well-known anti-vaccine figures; and relied entirely on observational insurance billing data, rather than diagnosis and vaccination status data. Additionally, messaging may highlight the decades of peer- reviewed research in credible journals consistently showing that childhood vaccines are safe and are not linked to any developmental disorder, including autism.

Trust in federal health agencies and support for childhood vaccines has declined considerably since 2023, especially among Republicans. The false narrative that skipping or delaying vaccinations is safer puts children at unnecessary risk of preventable diseases. Messaging may explain that the childhood immunization schedule was developed by medical and public health experts to best protect children, their families, and their communities. Continuing to emphasize the importance of routine vaccinations and encouraging parents to keep their children up to date on recommended vaccines is recommended.

Some people oppose mRNA-based vaccines and treatments due to fear or confusion about how the technology works. Prebunking messaging may explain that scientists have developed mRNA technology for decades and that mRNA vaccines and therapies are subject to the same rigorous safety screening and approval process as every drug on the market. Messaging may highlight that four years of research in millions of people have found no evidence of widespread safety concerns linked to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

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