Images of alleged vaccine-related blood clots circulate online
Images and videos of large blood clots that are allegedly linked to COVID-19 vaccines have resurfaced online. These images are circulating widely in English and Spanish-language posts, with social media users expressing concerns about COVID-19 vaccine safety.
Recommendation: Alarming images of blood clots allegedly linked to vaccines circulate periodically, with no source or evidence of a link to the vaccine. Continuing to reiterate that COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested and determined to be safe is recommended. Ensuring that informational materials, including websites and FAQ materials, contain messaging debunking false and misleading claims about COVID-19 vaccines and blood clots is also recommended. Messaging may emphasize that blood clots have been reported as an extremely rare adverse reaction to two non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. However, there is no evidence that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna cause blood clots. Research shows that COVID-19 infection increases blood clot risk far more than any COVID-19 vaccine, and that COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of post-COVID blood clots as well as severe illness, hospitalization, long COVID, and death.