Emerging Misinformation Narratives
Reemergence of COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation Following FDA Booster Approval
In addition to the required back-to-school vaccines for children, health officials are recommending that everyone 6 months of age and older receive the updated COVID-19 vaccines this fall. However, misinformation in online conversations indicate that vaccine hesitancy and misinformation may hinder uptake for some. In the days after the FDA approved the booster vaccines, more than half of posts, articles, comments on articles and videos mentioning the COVID-19 vaccines included terms associated with false claims. Many social media posts recycled debunked narratives that emerged during the initial approval of the COVID-19 vaccines, such as claims that the vaccines contain the SV40 virus, cause “turbo cancer,” were designed to only profit the government and pharmaceutical companies or were approved too quickly to be safe.
Misinformation has also emerged around specific vaccine types. Online discussions leading up to the FDA’s approval reflected some people’s frustration over the delayed approval of Novavax’s non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Some falsely claimed the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is “over 40% more effective” than other vaccines and that the FDA is “intentionally withholding” it, deepening distrust in the FDA approval process and mRNA vaccines. One post that made this claim had approximately 89,700 views, 3,000 likes, 1,000 reposts, and 50 comments as of August 27th. At the same time, there are also examples of support for the updated boosters. One doctor said, “I’ll get the updated COVID vaccine as soon as it’s available, and I’ll urge my patients to do the same. Getting COVID over and over again is not a great plan.” a post garnering 85,300 views, 3,300 likes, 620 reposts, and 470 comments by August 27th. These examples illustrate that both misinformation and accurate information can circulate on social media and receive comparable levels of engagement.
Recent political statements have further complicated the vaccine discussion. Presidential candidate Donald Trump has pledged to defund schools that mandate COVID-19 vaccines, a move that could exacerbate vaccine hesitancy and negatively impact public health efforts. While Trump previously supported the development and promotion of vaccines, his current stance has raised concerns among health experts about the potential for increased vaccine misinformation and declining vaccination rates. Trump’s rhetoric against vaccine mandates could undermine public trust in vaccination programs and jeopardize progress made in controlling preventable diseases.