New long COVID study reinforces the importance of vaccination
This week, two presidential candidates promoted vaccine myths, adult chickenpox went viral, and school vaccines drew ire in the South.
This week, two presidential candidates promoted vaccine myths, adult chickenpox went viral, and school vaccines drew ire in the South.
Over the last week, online conversations focused on a new study and viral video that highlight the importance of vaccination, while high-profile political figures continued to advance anti-vaccine narratives. A large-scale study confirmed past research showing that vaccination significantly reduces the risk of developing long COVID. Social media users promoted the study as further evidence in support of COVID-19 vaccination. Meanwhile, two presidential candidates falsely claimed that childhood vaccines are unsafe and unnecessary, just as a widely circulated video highlights the real-world dangers of skipping routine vaccines.
Regionally, school immunizations, measles outbreaks, and HPV and COVID-19 vaccine safety dominated online conversations.
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What’s trending nationally in vaccine conversation:
A July 17 study found unvaccinated people had long COVID at twice the rates of vaccinated people. The large study of nearly 450,000 people found that long COVID rates from pre-Delta, Delta, and Omicron infections in unvaccinated people ranged from 7.8 percent to 10.4 percent, while the rate among vaccinated people ranged from 3.5 percent to 5.3 percent. Social media users shared the story with messages to counter the false narratives that COVID-19 vaccines are ineffective and that long COVID is fake or a vaccine injury. Many also highlighted that the vaccines do not provide complete protection and that other precautions, such as masking, may help reduce the risk of infection and of spreading COVID-19 to others.
On July 17, a now-deleted recording of former President Donald Trump speaking to the independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was leaked and shared widely. The conversation included the promotion of false claims about vaccine safety. Kennedy has long questioned the safety and necessity of childhood vaccines, including promoting the debunked myth that vaccines cause autism, a sentiment echoed by the former president. The recording is trending in English and Spanish posts, with some criticizing Kennedy for the recording and others supporting an alliance between the two men.
In a series of videos with millions of views, a young woman shared her story of contracting chickenpox as an adult while promoting a host of false claims about the disease and vaccines to protect against it. The woman and several commenters state that they didn’t know that chickenpox still existed and didn’t realize that the disease is more serious than just “itchy red dots.” In one video, the woman claims that having chickenpox means she is unlikely to get shingles later in life when the opposite is true. She also falsely claims that “you don't get chickenpox by not getting vaccinated, you get it by being exposed to the virus” or from someone who recently got the chickenpox vaccine. In reality, the risk of the weakened virus in the vaccine spreading is about five in 55 million. Although some responses attempted to correct the false claims in the videos, many appear to agree with them. The video is part of a larger trend of people sharing stories of adult chickenpox, with many expressing that they didn’t realize how severe the disease can be.
Read the fact checks:
- Scientific American: Vaccination Dramatically Lowers Long COVID Risk
- AAP: Vaccine Safety: Examine the Evidence
- Everyday Health: Chickenpox in Adults: Risk Factors, Symptoms, Complications, Treatment
What’s happening in the Northeast:
On July 18, Massachusetts reported its first measles case since 2020 in Worcester County. Officials are urging residents to ensure that they and their children are up to date on their vaccinations, emphasizing that measles is highly contagious and that people without immunity from vaccination or infection are at very high risk of contracting the disease after exposure. Responses to local news coverage of the case are heavily politicized, with many posts blaming “open borders” and promoting false claims about vaccines.
What’s happening in the South:
Back-to-school vaccination campaigns are sparking online conversation across the South. As health departments and school districts promoted the events to local media and on social media, many commenters supported the vaccination efforts and encouraged others to vaccinate their children to protect them from preventable diseases. Other social media users repeated false claims about vaccine safety, promoted the debunked myths that vaccines cause autism and chronic health issues, and encouraged homeschooling and religious vaccine exemptions to avoid school immunizations.
What’s happening in the Midwest:
A social media user in a Cleveland-based group posted about mandatory polio vaccinations in the city in the 1960s, noting that people didn’t oppose it like they do COVID-19 vaccines. Many posts agreed with him, stating that people were thankful to get the polio vaccine, unlike the “Covid vaccine fiasco.” Several responses argued that polio was a more legitimate threat than COVID-19. One post claimed that “covid was a hoax, polio was not,” and another declared that “polio was a real disease, not a drug company profit scheme.”
What’s happening in the West:
On July 18, a law firm representing people who believe the Gardasil HPV vaccine injured them announced the first California state trial date set for October 2024. The law firm highlights “ovarian failure” leading to infertility as an alleged vaccine side effect and accuses Merck of “deceptive research” and “highly misleading marketing.” Social media users are promoting the lawsuit in response to positive coverage of HPV vaccines. For example, when a social media user encouraged HPV vaccination to reduce cervical cancer risk, another user claimed, “The lawsuits say otherwise.” Studies show no link between Gardasil and infertility or other reproductive issues. HPV vaccines prevent 90 percent of HPV cancers, and serious side effects are extremely rare.
Recommendations brought to you by the health communication experts behind Infodemiology.com.
Talking points 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 large study added to the extensive evidence showing that vaccines help reduce the risk of long COVID, a chronic condition that can develop after a COVID infection. Emphasizing the benefits of vaccination to help reduce the risk of long COVID could help persuade individuals to get an updated vaccine this fall. Messaging may emphasize that between 5 percent to 10 percent of people who get COVID will develop long COVID—vaccination cuts that risk in half. Debunking messaging may explain that there is no evidence to support the false narratives that long COVID isn’t real or that it is caused by vaccines.
Myths about routine childhood vaccine safety are pervasive and persistent, and trending narratives provide an opportunity to circulate existing content and information about the importance of routine immunization. Debunking messaging may emphasize that childhood vaccines go through rigorous safety testing and are subject to independent safety monitoring for as long as they are on the market. Decades of research support the safety of childhood vaccines. Messaging may also explain that there is no link between autism and vaccines and that research claiming otherwise has been discredited and retracted. Highlighting the millions of lives saved by vaccines and the preventable disease outbreaks that result from drops in routine immunization is recommended.
Misconceptions about the seriousness of chickenpox and who is at risk are widespread. Debunking messaging may emphasize that chickenpox is a potentially life-threatening disease that can affect unvaccinated people of any age and that adults are at even higher risk of severe illness and complications than children. Unvaccinated people have a 90 percent chance of contracting chickenpox if exposed. Talking points may explain that vaccination provides lifetime protection and is 90 percent effective against chickenpox infection and 100 percent effective against severe illness while also reducing the risk of shingles. The chickenpox vaccine is very safe, and serious side effects are extremely rare.
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