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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Cleveland Clinic Study Did Not Show Vaccines Increase COVID-19 Risk

Cleveland Clinic Study Did Not Show Vaccines Increase COVID-19 Risk

Numerous studies have found that additional COVID-19 shots are generally associated with extra protection against the coronavirus. Many people on social media, however, have shared a preliminary finding from a Cleveland Clinic study and misrepresented it as proving that getting more doses increases a person’s risk of infection.

Instagram Post Misleads About Pfizer’s RSV Maternal Vaccine

Instagram Post Misleads About Pfizer’s RSV Maternal Vaccine

Clinical trial data for Pfizer’s maternal vaccine to protect babies from RSV support the vaccine’s safety and efficacy, according to a vote by an FDA advisory committee. The FDA could soon approve the vaccine. But a popular social media post makes misleading claims about the trial findings.

Ventilators Save Lives, Did Not Cause ‘Nearly All’ COVID-19 Deaths

Ventilators Save Lives, Did Not Cause ‘Nearly All’ COVID-19 Deaths

Ventilators can be lifesaving for critically ill COVID-19 patients. A social media claim that a new study shows ventilators killed “nearly all” COVID-19 patients is “quite wrong,” according to the study’s co-author. Ventilator-associated complications can contribute to deaths, but patients are typically put on ventilators when they would otherwise die.

Database Errors Fuel False Claims about HIV Cases in Military

Database Errors Fuel False Claims about HIV Cases in Military

The rate of new HIV infections in the military has been relatively unchanged since 2017. But social media posts falsely claim that the military has recorded a “500% increase in HIV since the COVID vaccine rollout.” A Defense Department spokesperson said errors in a military database sparked the inaccurate claim.

Young Children Do Not Receive Medical Gender Transition Treatment

Young Children Do Not Receive Medical Gender Transition Treatment

Families seeking information from a health care provider about a young child’s gender identity may have their questions answered or receive counseling. Some posts share a misleading claim that toddlers are being “transitioned.” To be clear, prepubescent children are not offered transition surgery or drugs.

Posts Share Fake Chelsea Clinton Quote About Global Childhood Vaccination Effort

Posts Share Fake Chelsea Clinton Quote About Global Childhood Vaccination Effort

An international initiative called the Big Catch-Up aims to increase vaccination among children who have missed routine vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. In describing the project, Chelsea Clinton did not say it was time to “force-jab every unvaccinated child in America,” nor will the project impose mandatory vaccinations, contrary to claims.