Polio vaccine conversation goes viral
This week, online posts falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer while regional conversations focused on the uptake of mpox and flu vaccines.
This week, online posts falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer while regional conversations focused on the uptake of mpox and flu vaccines.
News that an anti-vaccine lawyer who is advising HHS secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked the FDA in 2022 to revoke approval of the polio vaccine dominated online vaccine conversations this week. Social media users and high-profile political figures criticized the petition and expressed support for polio vaccination. Meanwhile, false claims that COVID-19 vaccines cause so-called “turbo cancer” and menstrual abnormalities in unvaccinated people resurfaced online.
Regionally, online posts discussed pediatric flu deaths, mpox vaccines, and RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine rhetoric.
Insights brought to you by the reporters and science writers of Public Good News (PGN), a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to improving community health.
What’s trending nationally in vaccine conversation:
On December 13, the New York Times reported that a lawyer assisting HHS secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in screening federal health officials petitioned the FDA in 2022 to revoke its approval of the inactivated polio vaccine. Several politicians, including President-elect Trump, have attempted to distance themselves from criticism of the polio vaccine. The lawyer behind the petition responded to the discourse in a series of social media posts, claiming that the polio vaccine used by the U.S. since 2000 was not properly tested and repeating the myth that no routine vaccines have been subjected to randomized controlled trials.
Several popular anti-vaccine accounts are recirculating the false narrative that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines contain the SV40 virus, which the users claim causes so-called “turbo cancer.” Responses to the posts are full of anecdotes about people who allegedly died from COVID-19 vaccine injuries. One post claims that “everybody I know that’s had cancer and had the jab are dead now.”
A recent study published in a controversial journal claims that being around someone who has been vaccinated against the COVID-19 vaccine can cause abnormal menstruation. The study claims that women who were within 6 feet of vaccinated people experienced earlier, longer, and heavier periods. Responses recommended several “cures” for vaccine shedding.
Read the fact checks:
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Polio: The Disease & Vaccines
- AP News: No evidence that DNA sequence used in Pfizer shot leads to cancer and other health issues
- Health: Does Vaccine Shedding Really Happen?
What’s happening in the Northeast:
A small study assessed mpox vaccination rates among LGBTQ+ individuals in New York and New Jersey during the 2022 outbreak. The study found that cisgender, gay, and full-time employed men were the most likely to have received or intend to receive an mpox vaccine. Over half of the study participants reported having difficulty getting a vaccination appointment, with HIV-negative respondents being more likely to report barriers in getting a vaccination appointment, suggesting that those without established health care networks had a harder time accessing vaccines. Although the study was published in August, several news outlets covered it in the last week. Social media users circulated a November blog post about the alleged “costly mistake” of the CDC recommending the Jynneos mpox vaccine. Posts sharing the article claim that the vaccine is ineffective and causes heart issues.
What’s happening in the South:
A Texas senator expressed concern about voting to confirm HHS secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The senator questioned Kennedy’s vaccine beliefs, noting that “vaccinations are an important part of our public health, starting with the requirement that kids get vaccinations before they go to school.” The Texas senator’s comment faced harsh backlash on social media, with some arguing that vaccination should be a personal choice rather than a school requirement. Several posts questioned the safety of routine vaccines and accused the senator of receiving Big Pharma “kickbacks.”
What’s happening in the Midwest:
A University of Wisconsin-Madison professor sparked controversy after referring to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a “psychopath” and “moron” during a microbiology lecture. A conservative radio personality shared a clip of the comment on social media, where it was viewed over 7 million times. The remark drew mixed reactions, with critics denying that Kennedy is anti-vaccine and arguing that the professor’s personal views have no place in the classroom. However, some online commenters noted that the microbiology professor is well-qualified to address the implications of Kennedy’s anti-vaccine rhetoric. The incident has prompted a discussion about free speech and academic freedom.
What’s happening in the West:
On December 13, Hawaii reported its first pediatric flu death, the second in the nation this season. The child reportedly had underlying health conditions, but no further information has been shared to protect the family’s privacy. State health officials encouraged residents to get their flu vaccines as they head into the holiday season. One official noted that some residents have been hesitant to get flu shots because they believe they are mRNA-based, like COVID-19 vaccines. The official emphasized that flu vaccines are “traditional vaccines that we’ve all had before, and it’s been used and studied many, many times.”
Recommendations brought to you by the health communication experts behind Infodemiology.com.
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.
False and misleading narratives about routine vaccine safety can drive hesitancy, especially when coming from high-ranking officials. Debunking messaging may emphasize that the polio vaccine used in the U.S. is one of the safest vaccines available, with no serious adverse reactions associated with it. Safety data from millions of vaccine doses reveal few adverse events and no safety concerns.
The false narrative linking COVID-19 vaccines to cancer is widespread, persistent, and damaging to the public’s perception of vaccine safety. Messaging may explain that some COVID-19 vaccines contain a small fragment of SV40, but not the full virus. These DNA fragments are harmless, not biologically capable of inducing cancer, and have been used in medical research for decades. Emphasizing that over four years of scientific research and rigorous safety monitoring show no association between any COVID-19 vaccine and cancer is recommended. Debunking messaging may also highlight that “turbo cancer” is not a real condition or a term accepted by medical professionals.
Further debunking messaging may also emphasize that it is not biologically possible for COVID-19 vaccines to shed because they don’t contain a live virus. Additionally, messaging may explain that the recent study claiming that being in close proximity to a vaccinated person can cause menstrual irregularities in unvaccinated people was published in a journal that is not in the National Library of Medicine and primarily publishes anti-vaccine “studies.” Several of the study authors’ main affiliation is a prominent anti-vaccine organization, and one is the author of a now-retracted study falsely linking the MMR vaccine to autism.
Interested in recommendations tailored to health care providers? Click here.