The Infodemiology Brief —

High-profile political figures attack COVID-19 vaccine safety

Over the last month, the results of the U.S. presidential election and the nominees selected for the incoming administration’s health team have dominated online vaccine conversations as high-profile political figures escalated attacks on routine and COVID-19 vaccines. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance claimed on a popular podcast to have suffered “severe” COVID-19 vaccine side effects, while Florida’s surgeon general repeated false claims about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. In the wake of the election, some social media users shared their fears—and conspiracy theories—about the U.S.’s current and future handling of bird flu and the impact of appointing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

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Trending narratives from the past month

High-profile political figures question COVID-19 vaccine safety
Several high-ranking political figures made recent comments casting doubt on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly mRNA vaccines. In a late October interview, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance claimed that COVID-19 vaccination caused him “severe” side effects that left him bed-bound for two days. The politician also suggested that other public figures who had similar experiences were too afraid to speak up for fear of being labeled “anti-vaxxers.” The story trended in multiple languages across social media platforms in the lead-up to the U.S. presidential election. A month later, 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 misrepresents a Pfizer adverse reactions report, cites unverified Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System data, and quotes a controversial writer best known for promoting anti-vaccine conspiracies. The surgeon general also called 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. Read the fact checks here and here.

Potential HHS appointment stirs debate and panic about vaccine access
Questions over whether the incoming Trump administration will severely restrict access to or ban any vaccines have been circulating online following the November 14 nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the HHS. The announcement fueled false claims about the safety and importance of routine childhood vaccines as Kennedy coined his anti-vaccine and anti-science initiative, Make America Healthy Again. Popular posts reacting to the news claimed without evidence that no childhood vaccine is safe and that routine vaccines are linked to autism, ADHD, and chronic illness. Although several posts shared the many studies debunking these connections, vaccine opponents continue to call for new studies, which they say will support their claims. Several viral posts encouraged people to get vaccinated while they still can, insinuating that the potential appointment will severely impact access to routine vaccines. Other popular posts highlighted the importance of vaccines and the danger of empowering anti-vaccine figures. Read the fact checks here and here.

Online concern about bird flu ramps up after U.S. election
Shortly after the election, the CDC posted about symptoms of H5N1, or bird flu, prompting some social media users to speculate that the agency is forecasting a bird flu pandemic. Several trending posts from pro-vaccine accounts claimed that the CDC “has rapidly” changed its messaging by warning about symptoms instead of emphasizing the relatively low human risk. A narrative emerged online that this perceived change in messaging is a sign that the bird flu virus is spreading faster than the public is aware and that the CDC waited until people were “distracted” by the election to issue new warnings. One popular post falsely claimed that “the CDC quietly announced H5N1 has likely gone human-to-human transmission.” Meanwhile, reports of Canada’s first suspected human bird flu case stoked fears further, with some commenters pleading with the CDC director to stop “downplaying” bird flu before an “anti-science/anti-health” administration takes over. A former U.S. surgeon general expressed concern that the incoming Trump administration may derail efforts to prevent a bird flu pandemic. Read the fact checks here.

What you might say in response

Research over the last four years has found strong evidence that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe. 

  • There is no controversy among experts about COVID-19 vaccine safety. There is overwhelming scientific consensus, backed by peer-reviewed research and global safety monitoring, that shows mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe.
  • A health concern that arises after vaccination is not necessarily caused by vaccination. It’s up to health and legal authorities to determine whether there is a link between an adverse reaction and a vaccine. Four years of research show that serious adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines are exceedingly rare.
  • The claim that COVID-19 vaccines cause “deadly side effects” is based on unverified side effects reported shortly after COVID-19 vaccines were authorized. The report listed all the health conditions that arose during this period, whether or not they were vaccine-related. 
  • Some people use VAERS data to claim that COVID-19 vaccines are not safe. VAERS reports are self-reported, unverified, and cannot be used as evidence that a vaccine caused a specific adverse event. 

Decades of data prove that routine vaccines are very safe and can help protect populations against deadly and debilitating diseases. 

  • Routine vaccines can help protect everyone, including infants who are too young to be fully vaccinated and those who can’t safely receive vaccines. Vaccines are responsible for the near elimination of many once-commonplace diseases. 
  • Decades of research have never found a link between any childhood vaccine and autism, ADHD, or chronic illness. The myth that vaccines cause developmental disorders and chronic illnesses is based on retracted and discredited research. 
  • Vaccines are held to the highest testing and safety standards of almost any medical intervention. All vaccines undergo rigorous safety trials and are closely monitored by health authorities.

Experts remain confident that bird flu is a public health concern but not currently a risk to the general public.

  • Researchers have studied bird flu for decades. They maintain that there is currently little risk to the vast majority of humans.  
  • Fifty-six human bird flu cases have been detected in the U.S. this year, almost all in farm and dairy workers who were in direct contact with infected livestock. 
  • Human-to-human spread of bird flu is extremely rare and has not been reported during the current outbreak.

What we’re reading

Studies and trainings

Check out the newly launched Master Class in Vaccination Communication, a training program that offers health care providers skills and practical tools to engage patients more effectively. Built on the pillars of effective vaccine communication, making strong recommendations to increase vaccine uptake, and addressing vaccine hesitancy and resistance, the program features an interactive Healthy Discussions role-play game through which providers can practice navigating complex patient scenarios in a safe and engaging environment. Learn more here. 

Interested in learning more about how to debunk false claims with patients? Check out the new Infodemiology Training Program. In videos that range from 5 to 10 minutes each, the program introduces health care providers to the basics of infodemiology and provides you with actionable skills to help improve patient care. Get started today.

Quick response media assets

Below, we've provided a social media asset in English and Spanish. Use these assets on social media to fight false claims and help provide your network with accurate information. Just right-click the asset, or press and hold on mobile, to download.

Proposed social copy:
False and misleading narratives about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and other routine vaccines have become widespread and embraced by high-profile political figures. But decades of scientific research and the consensus of the scientific and medical community tell the true story: Vaccines are safe, and serious adverse reactions to vaccination are extremely rare.

Publicación propuesta:
Narrativas falsas y engañosas sobre la seguridad de las vacunas contra el COVID-19 y otras vacunas de rutina se han popularizado y figuras políticas de alto perfil las han adoptado. Pero décadas de investigación científica y el consenso de la comunidad médica y científica cuentan la historia real: Las vacunas son seguras y las reacciones adversas serias son extremadamente raras. 

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