Misinformation Alerts
Knowing what misinformation is being shared can help you generate effective messaging.
These insights are based on a combination of automated media monitoring and manual review by public health data analysts. Media data are publicly available data from many sources, such as social media, broadcast television, newspapers and magazines, news websites, online video, blogs, and more. Analysts from the Public Good Projects triangulate this data along with other data from fact checking organizations and investigative sources to provide an accurate, but not exhaustive, list of currently circulating misinformation.Misinformation Alerts
Knowing what misinformation is being shared can help you generate effective messaging.
These insights are based on a combination of automated media monitoring and manual review by public health data analysts. Media data are publicly available data from many sources, such as social media, broadcast television, newspapers and magazines, news websites, online video, blogs, and more. Analysts from the Public Good Projects triangulate this data along with other data from fact checking organizations and investigative sources to provide an accurate, but not exhaustive, list of currently circulating misinformation.Alerts are categorized as high, medium, and low risk.
- High risk alerts: Narratives with widespread circulation across communities, high engagement, exponential velocity, and a high potential to impact health decisions. Are often more memorable than accurate information.
- Medium risk alerts: Narratives that are circulating in priority populations and pose some threat to health. Potential for further spread due to the tactics used or because of predicted velocity. Often highlights the questions and concerns of people.
- Low risk alerts: Narratives that are limited in reach, don’t impact your community, or lack the qualities necessary for future spread. May indicate information gaps, confusion, or concerns.
In early April, online discourse about the ongoing bird flu (H5N1) outbreak rose sharply following the first recorded case of a human contracting the virus from a cow. Reports of the virus being detected in cow’s milk have kept the outbreak in the news and social media conversations. Much of the content is focused on information sharing and concern about the growing outbreak. However, the topic has also drawn anti-vaccine ire, including conspiracy theories about global health entities and the upcoming election, false claims that bird flu is “100 times worse than the COVID-19 pandemic,” and general opposition to bird flu vaccines and outbreak protections.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
The scale of this discourse increases the risk. At the same time, the current risk of bird flu infection in humans is relatively low. Filling information gaps and answering questions from the concerned public is recommended. Prebunking messaging may explain that bird flu is a real disease that has been recognized since the 1800s. The current bird flu outbreak began in January 2022. Messaging may also emphasize that recent coverage and concern are due to the increased spread and transmission of the virus between mammals, especially cattle. H5N1 primarily affects birds, and transmission to and between mammals, including humans, is quite rare. While bird flu has a higher reported mortality rate than COVID-19, there is no evidence to support the “100 times worse” claim, which appears to have been hyperbole to emphasize the potential danger of the disease if it suddenly became a threat to humans. Health officials who have tracked bird flu for decades say that the risk to humans remains low. Emphasizing that U.S. health officials say the U.S. food supply remains safe from bird flu is recommended, as is highlighting that milk from grocery stores is still safe to drink. The FDA approved the first H5N1 vaccine in 2007, a decade after the first human outbreak in Hong Kong. Several avian flu vaccines have been licensed since, including a vaccine approved for those at high risk of exposure in 2020. The United States having a stockpile of these vaccines is an example of pandemic preparedness. Fact Checking Source(s): CDC, Politifact
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. resurfaced the three-year-old myth that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines had a 23 percent higher death rate than placebo in clinical trials. Kennedy insinuated that the vaccines caused those deaths and said that the vaccine was ineffective because it didn’t prevent COVID-19 deaths. A popular post sharing the clips of the interview cites surveys claiming that a quarter of Americans believe they know someone who died of a COVID-19 vaccine injury.
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
The high-profile source increases the risk of the false claim. Messaging may explain that this claim is based on a report finding that in a trial with over 44,000 participants, 14 all-cause deaths were reported in the placebo group and 15 deaths in the vaccine group. None of the deaths were vaccine-related, and only three (two in the placebo group and one in the vaccine group) were COVID-19-related. The same report found the vaccine to be 97 percent effective against severe COVID-19 illness. Debunking messaging may continue to emphasize that comprehensive analyses over the last three years disprove the claim that COVID-19 vaccines cause excess deaths, including a 2023 analysis of data from 178 nations that found COVID-19 vaccination coverage was linked to lower all-cause mortality rates. Fact-Checking Source(s): AFP, AP News
A discredited cardiologist falsely claims that all COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe and cause widespread serious health issues, including cardiac arrest and heart failure. The physician’s company sells a variety of “vaccine detox” products that claim will prevent the alleged harmful effects of COVID-19 vaccines.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
Messaging may continue to emphasize that COVID-19 vaccines are not associated with widespread adverse reactions and there is no link between the vaccines and cardiac arrest or heart failure. Four years of research, including clinical trials, real-world studies, and global safety monitoring, have consistently shown COVID-19 vaccines to be safe and severe side effects to be exceedingly rare. Billions of people worldwide have been vaccinated for years, with no evidence of the safety concerns mentioned in the video. Fact Checking Source(s): USA Today, Infectious Diseases Society of America
Several accounts expressed outrage that a New York hospital with a world-class pericardial/myocardial disease center ran an ad about treatments for inflammation of the heart muscle, or myocarditis. The posts suggest a conspiracy to normalize myocarditis caused by “experimental mRNA injections.”
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
Prebunking messaging may explain that myocarditis was recognized for decades before the pandemic as a rare condition that may be triggered by infections and exposure to toxic substances, such as certain illicit drugs and animal venom. Early in the pandemic, COVID-19 infection was found to dramatically increase the risk of heart muscle inflammation. Myocarditis risk after COVID-19 vaccination is far lower than after COVID-19 infection. Vaccination also reduces the risk of COVID-19-related heart complications, severe illness, long COVID, hospitalization, and death. Fact Checking Source(s): Yale Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
A video clip of a U.S. congressperson known for promoting vaccine disinformation is trending online. The congressperson falsely claimed that “studies” show that COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous and shared anecdotes of alleged vaccine-related injuries and deaths. She also argues that children should not be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
The high-profile source of the claim increases its risk. Debunking messaging may explain that there is no controversy among experts about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines because nearly four years of research have shown them to be extremely safe. Continuing to emphasize that there is no evidence of widespread COVID-19 vaccine injuries in any population, including children, is recommended. Fact Checking Source(s): Infectious Diseases Society of America, CIDRAP
A large-scale, independent review of real-world safety data confirmed that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may cause myocarditis in very rare cases. However, the study conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found no link between the vaccines and other conditions, including infertility, heart attacks, blood clots, Guillain-Barré syndrome, or Bell’s Palsy.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
Messaging may emphasize that the study provides additional evidence of the overall safety of COVID-19 vaccines and the extreme rarity of serious side effects. One of the committee members who conducted the study emphasized that “identifying a harm does not mean that it occurs frequently. Harms associated with vaccines are rare.” Fact Checking Source(s): US News, National Academies
Several widely circulated social media posts shared statements from a physician who chairs the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, reportedly testifying that she advised the Finnish government in late 2021 against implementing COVID-19 vaccine passports because the vaccines didn’t prevent transmission. Finland’s COVID-19 vaccine restrictions were in place for a total of four months before the government ended them in February 2022. Vaccine opponents have sensationalized the story to claim that the physician testified that passports were a “scam” to push “fake vaccines” that don’t prevent deaths.
Recommendation:
Low Risk Read More +
Prebunking messaging may emphasize that research shows COVID-19 vaccines prevented millions of deaths in the U.S. and worldwide. Additionally, a 2023 analysis found that higher COVID-19 vaccination coverage was associated with lower all-cause mortality rates across 178 countries. Global studies confirmed that COVID-19 vaccines reduced transmission against early COVID-19 variants but became less effective against transmission over time as SARS-CoV-2 continued to mutate. COVID-19 vaccines continue to protect against severe illness and death. Fact-checking sources: Tech ARP, University of Maryland, Reuters
A tech CEO posted a meme questioning what happened to all the “dangerous” COVID-19 variants. The heavily circulated image has been viewed over 69 million times. One post sharing the image claims that once mass COVID-19 vaccination ended, the virus stopped evolving, implying that officials only said variants were dangerous to get people vaccinated.
Recommendation:
High Risk Read More +
The high-profile nature of the source increases the post’s risk. These types of trending narratives provide an opportunity to use prebunking messaging to explain how viruses change over time. Messaging may emphasize that viral variants are a natural result of mutations, which will occur for as long as a virus can spread between hosts. COVID-19 continues to mutate and produce new variants and subvariants, but not all are equally dangerous. In addition, an overwhelming majority of Americans have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Talking points may continue to emphasize the importance of vaccines to protect against severe illness, hospitalization, long COVID, and death, and that especially for older adults and for the immunocompromised, COVID-19 still poses a risk. Fact-Checking Source(s): Mayo Clinic
A group of activists in Japan reportedly organized a protest to oppose the World Health Organization’s international pandemic agreement, which critics falsely claim will give WHO authority to mandate national pandemic responses. Some accounts claim that hundreds of thousands or even millions of people attended the protests. However, a security risk and crisis management agency noted that “several thousand” attended.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
The treaty has frequently been the subject of outrage and conspiracy theories from vaccine opponents. Conspiracy theories about the pandemic agreement, which is in the final stages of negotiation, have circulated online for more than a year. The treaty does not affect any country’s sovereignty or authorize WHO to dictate pandemic response in any country but rather sets the stage for organized global pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Fact Checking Source(s): PolitiFact, AP News
A popular social media post asks why the general public hadn’t heard of myocarditis prior to COVID-19 if the condition was “so normal.” Responses to the post insinuate that myocarditis was not an issue before COVID-19 vaccines and block users who point to evidence to the contrary.
Recommendation:
Medium Risk Read More +
False claims and misconceptions about myocarditis have persisted for years, contributing to vaccine hesitancy. Prebunking messaging may explain that myocarditis was first described in the 1700s and identified as a distinct diagnosis in the 1980s. Research on the condition spans decades, including a 2016 study that found global myocarditis cases were rising. Debunking messaging may emphasize that myocarditis was and is very rare and that the general public is unaware of most rare diseases that don’t affect them or a loved one. Talking points may also explain that myocarditis is seven times more likely to occur after COVID-19 infection than after COVID-19 vaccination. Fact Checking Source(s): Public Good Projects, Johns Hopkins
Alerts are categorized as high, medium, and low risk.
- High risk alerts: Narratives with widespread circulation across communities, high engagement, exponential velocity, and a high potential to impact health decisions. Are often more memorable than accurate information.
- Medium risk alerts: Narratives that are circulating in priority populations and pose some threat to health. Potential for further spread due to the tactics used or because of predicted velocity. Often highlights the questions and concerns of people.
- Low risk alerts: Narratives that are limited in reach, don’t impact your community, or lack the qualities necessary for future spread. May indicate information gaps, confusion, or concerns.
Vaccine Misinformation Guide
Get practical tips for addressing misinformation in this new guide. Click image to download, or see highlights.