Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom shared a video which sparked viral conversations about third trimester abortions. Newsom’s social media post included a video in which a news anchor states that he has “never heard of anyone” getting an abortion at 9 months pregnant. In response to Newsom’s...
In March, a Kentucky child died after having a suspected allergic reaction to strawberries. The Hopkins County Health Department advised residents to dispose of strawberries purchased at a local school fundraiser out of an abundance of caution, but FDA testing later determined that the strawberries were safe. Last week, the...
A recent article outlined state and local government efforts to address the surge in mental illness among young people and investigated potential driving forces behind the crisis. In response to the article, political commentator Charlie Kirk shared a viral social media post claiming that COVID-19 lockdowns, political indoctrination in schools,...
Georgia health officials confirmed a third measles case in the state. The person who contracted measles was unvaccinated and traveled internationally with a group of students. In response to this event, social media users are sharing a variety of false claims. Some are blaming immigrants for the recent rise in...
Last week, several viral social media posts claimed that Dr. Anthony Fauci created the virus that causes COVID-19 in his Montana lab and released the virus in order to sway election results. Recommendation: Responding directly to conspiracy theories may detract from priority talking points. Ensuring that informational materials about COVID-19...
A former cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs died from sepsis after giving birth to a stillborn baby. Social media users are making the unsubstantiated claim that her death was caused by COVID-19 vaccination. Some are also using the former cheerleader’s death to support the false claims that miscarriage...
A new CDC study investigates the risk of sudden cardiac deaths in teens and young adults who received COVID-19 vaccines. The study found no link between the vaccines and sudden cardiac deaths. Vaccine opponents responded to scientific data that contradicts the false claims they have circulated for the last two...
Last week, a group called Innovative Parenting New Jersey hosted a livestream event on social media to discuss proposed health code changes at New Jersey schools. A post advertising the event claimed that “medical consent is being attacked.” Some commenters on the post claimed that proposed health codes are solely...
Several prominent vaccine opponents posted false claims about bird flu online, in both English and Spanish. Some of the false claims include that there’s been a possible “artificial introduction of H5N1 bird flu into farming operations and food.” Other claims resurfaced conspiracy theories about a “plandemic,” casting suspicion on...
Last week, several viral social media posts claimed that Dr. Anthony Fauci created the virus that causes COVID-19 in his Montana lab and released the virus in order to sway election results. Recommendation: It’s unlikely for this specific conspiracy theory to come up in patient conversations, but patient messaging...
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