Social media post falsely claims that COVID-19 vaccines have injured more than 10 million people

Following a New York Times article about COVID-19 vaccine injuries, a well-known vaccine opponent in California falsely claimed on social media that COVID-19 vaccines have injured more than 10 million people. In response, some social media users shared concerns about COVID-19 vaccine safety and personal stories about vaccine injuries, while others debunked the post’s false claims.

Recommendation: False claims about alleged vaccine injuries may discourage patients in California—as well as patients throughout the U.S. who encounter these claims—from staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines. Messaging may emphasize that there is no evidence to back up the statistic cited in the social media post, and the statistic was not included in the Times’ article. COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested and determined to be safe, as adverse effects are extremely rare. The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older to protect against severe illness, hospitalization, death, and long COVID.