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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center
SciCheck’s COVID-19/Vaccination Project

Posts Misinterpret NYC Health Tweet About Omicron Subvariant XBB.1.5

Posts Misinterpret NYC Health Tweet About Omicron Subvariant XBB.1.5

An unclear tweet from New York City health officials was meant to caution residents that the latest omicron subvariant, XBB.1.5, might be more likely than previous variants to infect vaccinated or previously infected people. Social media posts misinterpreted the tweet to mean that vaccinated people were at higher risk than unvaccinated people.

It’s Not News, Nor ‘Scandalous,’ That Pfizer Trial Didn’t Test Transmission

It’s Not News, Nor ‘Scandalous,’ That Pfizer Trial Didn’t Test Transmission

The COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials were designed to study the vaccine’s safety and efficacy in preventing symptomatic disease, not transmission. But online publications now misleadingly present the fact that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was not tested for transmission as a “shocking admission” and proof that the company and the government lied.

Widespread Claims Misrepresent Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines

Widespread Claims Misrepresent Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines

As the virus that causes COVID-19 has evolved, the vaccines have become less effective in preventing symptomatic infection while remaining highly effective in preventing severe disease and death. This shift has been misrepresented by anti-vaccine influencers who falsely claim that it means the vaccines don’t work and have been ineffective all along.

Posts Misleadingly Omit Critical Data Supporting COVID-19 Vaccines for Youngest Kids

Posts Misleadingly Omit Critical Data Supporting COVID-19 Vaccines for Youngest Kids

In young children, the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are expected to primarily protect against severe disease. Both shots successfully met the set benchmarks for vaccine effectiveness, which involved comparing antibody responses to those of adults. Online posts critical of government recommendations for the pediatric vaccines, however, fail to mention these essential data.

Vaccinated People Not More Susceptible to COVID-19 Than Unvaccinated

Vaccinated People Not More Susceptible to COVID-19 Than Unvaccinated

Q. Are vaccinated and boosted people more susceptible to infection or disease with the omicron variant than unvaccinated people?
A. No. Getting vaccinated increases your protection against COVID-19. Sometimes, certain raw data can suggest otherwise, but that information cannot be used to determine how well a vaccine works.

COVID-19 Vaccines Reduce Hospitalization and Death Rates, Contrary to Social Media Claims

COVID-19 Vaccines Reduce Hospitalization and Death Rates, Contrary to Social Media Claims

Those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 are more prone to serious illness and are dying at higher rates than those who are vaccinated. But partisan social media accounts, including a post by a member of former President Donald Trump’s campaign legal team, continue to misleadingly suggest the vaccines are unnecessary and discourage their use.

COVID-19 Vaccines Have Prevented Deaths, Contrary to Misleading Graphic on Social Media

COVID-19 Vaccines Have Prevented Deaths, Contrary to Misleading Graphic on Social Media

Studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccines have prevented severe disease and deaths. But bogus claims that they don’t work continue to circulate online. One claim relies on a misleading graph showing cumulative deaths in the U.S., but omits information about the number of deaths among the vaccinated versus unvaccinated since the shots became available.

U.S. COVID-19 Vaccines Follow Conventional Health Standards and Protocols

U.S. COVID-19 Vaccines Follow Conventional Health Standards and Protocols

Clinical and real-world studies have shown that the COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing serious disease, and there is a long history of vaccine requirements in the U.S. But a list of bogus claims, shared around the world in recent months, falsely attributes unique characteristics and requirements to COVID-19 vaccines.